88 THE HUMANIZING OF THE BRUTE. 



every natural desire would prompt them to do the op- 

 posite. Thus we are forced by inexorable facts to 

 deny to the great warrior ant, the much lauded Ama- 

 zon, the faculty of acting with the consciousness of 

 final purpose and to assign her a place in the realms 

 of mere animal instinct. 



The second psychic contrast, which strongly con- 

 roborates the conclusion suggested by the first, is taken 

 from the life-history of Formica sanguinea. This ant, 

 it is true, does not exhibit the brilliant intrepidity char- 

 acterizing the warlike expeditions of the Polyergus. 

 According to Forel sixty amazons can put to flight 

 thousands of the Formica sanguinea. Again their 

 warlike tactics do not present the same certainty and 

 unity, at least not if there is question of more popu- 

 lous slave-nests. Finally the number of expeditions, 

 in the case of the Polyergus about 44 in 33 days with 

 a result of 40,000 cocoons, is in the case of the Formica 

 sanguinea comparatively insignificant. But in spite of 

 these facts, which are partially due to the independence 

 of the Fornica sanguinea from its auxiliaries, some 

 features in the expedition of this ant exteriorly seem 

 to indicate a superiority in psychic endowments. We 

 mention only a single instance. Whilst Polyergus 

 makes its attack in serried ranks and with all the forces 

 actually engaged in the expedition, Formica sanguinea 

 uses only a part of its troops for purposes of assault. 

 The rest, as if intending to blockade the hostile formi- 

 cary, distribute themselves in squadrons around it. 

 If, then, the inhabitants of the nest try to save their 

 young by flight, they are at once pursued and cap- 

 tured by the outlying posts. It is evident that this 



