72 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



by thouKSands out of the same holes, with their larvae and pupss^ 

 in their jaws, and escaped to the nearest plants and bushes, 

 running over the heaps of their assailants. These looked on 

 the matter as hopeless, and began to retreat. But the ruji- 

 harhes, fUrious at their proceedings, pursued them, and en- 

 deavoui'ed to get away from them the few pupae they had ob- 

 tained, by trying to seize the Amazons' legs and to snatch away 

 the pupae. The Amazon lets its jaws slip slowly along the 

 captive pupa, as far as the head of its opponent, and pierces it, 

 if it does not, as generally happens, draw back. But it often 

 manages to seize the pupa at the instant at which the Amazon 

 lets it go and flies with it. This is managed yet more easily 

 when a comrade holds the robber by the legs, and compels it to 

 loose its prey in order to guard itself against its assailant. 

 Sometimes the robbers seize empty cocoons and carry them 

 away, but they leave them on the road when they have dis- 

 covered their mistake. In the above case the strength of the 

 Tufharbes proved at last so great that the rearguard of 'the re- 

 treating army was seriously pressed, and was obliged to give up 

 its booty. A number of the Amazons also were overpowered 

 and killed, but not without the rufiharhes also losing many 

 people. None the less did some individuals, as though despe- 

 rate, rush into the thickest hosts of the enemy, penetrated 

 again into the nest, and carried off several pupae by sheer au- 

 dacity and skill. Most of them left their prey to go to the 

 help of their comrades when assailed by the rufiharhes. Ten 

 minutes after the commencement of the retreat all the Amazons 

 had left the nest, and, being swifter than their opponents, they 

 were only pursued for about halfway back. Their attack had 

 failed on account of a short delay ! 



On another occasion observed by Forel, in which several 

 fertile Amazons also took part and killed many enemies, the 

 nest was thoroughly ravished, but the retreat was also in this 

 case very much disturbed and harassed by the superior numbers 

 of the enemy. There were many slain on both sides. That in 

 spite of the above-mentioned unanimity different opinions among 

 the members of an expedition sometimes hinder its conduct, the 

 following observation seems to show : — An advancing column 

 divided after it had gone about ten yards from the nest. Half 

 turned back, while the other half went on, but after some time 

 hesitated and also turned back. Arrived at home, it found 

 those which had formerly turned back putting themselves in 

 motion in a new direction. The newly returned followed them, 

 and the reunited army, after various wheelings, halts, &c., at 



