144 CONVERSATIONS ON 



at last one side or the other gives way. They 

 are solmsy that even if you stand near them 

 they take no notice of you, and not one stops 

 fighting, or crawls up your legs." 



" Do all of them that belong to the hill go 

 out to fight, Uncle Philip ?" 



" No ; near the hills all is peace and order, 

 and work seems to be going on as usual. 

 Only on the side next to the battle, crowds 

 may be seen running backwards and forwards 

 from both hills ; some -as messengers, I sup- 

 pose, and some to fight, or carry back pris- 



oners." 



" But, Uncle Philip, you said that these ants 

 were all of one sort ; how then do they, know 

 one another so as to tell which party each 

 one belongs to ? I should think that some- 

 times they would make a mistake, and fight 

 a friend instead of an enemy." 



" This, boys, is one of the most wonderful 

 things concerning them. They are alike in 

 form, and size, and weapons, and strength ; 

 and sometimes it happens that they do make 

 a mistake, but it is very seldom ; and when 

 they do, Mr. Huber, who watched one of their 

 battles, says that they find it out directly, and 



