THE DRIVER ANT. 469 



"When Colonel Sykes brought home the first nest he discover- 

 ed, he hung it to the tent-pole, preparatory to examining it jn the 

 morning. " In the night the men were awakened by repeated 

 punctures and general irritation of the skin, but the darkness pre- 

 vented them from discovering their tormentors, and they contin- 

 ued to toss and tumble in their beds for some hours in no very 

 complacent state of mind. At last they got up, dressed them- 

 selves, and abandoned the tent; but the evil was rather aggra- 

 vated than abated, as parts of their persons which had previously 

 escaped had now their share of suffering. At daylight they dis- 

 covered to their consternation that they were covered with minute 

 ants, which had filled their pantaloons, penetrated the sleeves of 

 their coats and every other part of their habiliments. On inspect- 

 ing the tent, they found the interior teeming with multitudes of 

 little angry beings, in busy progress, seeking to resent the out- 

 rage which had been committed on the community by the re- 

 moval of their abode." 



The insects are extremely small, barely one fifth of an inch in 

 length, and are reddish in color. 



Perhaps one of the most terrible of insects is that which is ap- 

 propriately called the Driver Ant of Western Africa (Anomma 

 arcens). 



This insect is a truly remarkable creature. Although it is to 

 be found in vast numbers, it has never been found in the winged 

 condition, and neither the male nor the female have as } 7 et been 

 discovered. The workers are uniform in color, but exceedingly 

 variable in size. Their hue is deep brownish -black, and their 

 length varies from half an inch to one line, so that the largest 

 workers nearly equal the common earwig, while the smallest are 

 no larger than the common red ant of our gardens. In the Brit- 

 ish Museum are specimens of the workers, which form a regular 

 gradation of size from the largest to the smallest. 



They are called Driver Ants because they drive before them 

 every living creature. There is not an animal that can withstand 

 the Driver Ants. In their march they carry destruction before 

 them, and every beast knows instinctively that it must not cross 

 their track. They have been known to destroy even the agile 

 monkey, when their swarming host had once made a lodgment 

 on its body ; and when they enter a pig-stye, they soon kill the 

 imprisoned inhabitants, whose tough hides can not protect them 



