ANIMAL KINGDOM. 137 



find an abundance of food. They vary in length from one-twelfth to 

 about three-quarters of an inch ; some bite, others sting ; several 

 have a very strong and unpleasant odour : some raise their hillocks 

 from under ground, others build in decayed, a few in the hollows 

 of living trees, as, for instance, in the interior of the soft trumpet- 

 tree, which they pierce in order to effect a lodging in its inter- 

 nodes ; others build a regular kind of mortared nest, against the 

 trunk or larger branches of trees, in a manner similar to the wasps 

 and termites. Several of the kinds inhabiting houses deserve a few 

 words of notice. Of these, the stinging black ants are met with 

 almost everywhere ; they form their nests under ground, or at the 

 roots of plants, particularly of those upon which the "pucerons" feed; 

 they carry numbers of the latter to the plant, and build along the 

 stem and twigs covered galleries, besides which they devour the 

 bark of the roots or stem, so that the plant, both from the attacks 

 of the "pucerons," and their own devastation, soon perishes. The 

 black ants sting very severely, and, when disturbed, they rush out 

 in numbers, and most fiercely. There are two species of the red 

 stinging ant, one of which, called the sugar-ant, seems to be the 

 smallest of all the kinds here ; they both sting, particularly the 

 smaller one, and the burning and itching sensation they cause 

 lasts more than half an hour. They are very fond of sweets and 

 olive oil, so that it is always necessary to place those articles out 

 of their reach. The black and red ants move slowly. The 

 " cr y ant" is black, and is about one-eighth of an inch in 

 len it always seems to be in a hurry, moving very rapidly 

 ba \s 7 forwards, and sideways, as if it were mad ; hence its 



sc aet. These ants are particularly fond of sirup and sugar ; 

 they are also carnivorous, and nothing is more amusing than to 

 observe thousands of them carrying along large cock-roaches, 

 worms, or other dead insects. If they encounter a crawling worm, 

 immediate notice is circulated among the tribe, and, in a short 

 time, hundreds of them march to the attack ; their huge adversary 

 rolls and contracts in self-defence, but, although tossed about, the 

 ants hold fast, fresh recruits come to the rescue, and, after a 

 struggle of more than half an hour, the giant is subdued, and 

 carried to the nest, part of the host pulling forwards, and part 

 raising up, so as to lighten the draft. Once arrived at the entrance 

 of the nest, which is generally small, and cannot admit the booty, 

 the ants cut their prey into small pieces, which they carry down; 



