208 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



the species which we found at Cape Santo- Vito 

 seems to have belonged to these tribes of Amazons, 

 and if chance had favoured us we should no 

 doubt have witnessed some of those razzias, which 

 Huber * has compared to expeditions for kidnapping 

 negroes ; for we might have seen, as that naturalist 

 did, how the soldier ants marched forth in serried 

 columns to lay siege to the ant-nest, and, after 

 carrying it by assault, notwithstanding a desperate 

 resistance, returned triumphant, bringing with them 

 eggs or young larvae, which, in the course of time, 

 become developed, and are brought up as slaves, 

 having to perform all those services for their victors 

 which the Lacedaemonians were wont to exact from 

 their Helots. As want of time and opportunity 

 prevented us from witnessing in person any of those 

 curious scenes which ants have exhibited to more 

 fortunate observers, we determined at all events to 

 possess ourselves of a specimen of their industry. 

 One of their subterranean cities was, therefore, 

 most carefully removed by M. Blan chard, who was 

 anxious to present a specimen of this kind to the 

 museum. M. Edwards succeeded, in the mean time, 

 by a happy coincidence of circumstances, in com- 

 pleting at Santo- Vito two series of admirable obser- 

 vations in relation to the organisation of the Bero'ida3 



* The younger Huber devoted himself to the study of Ants, 

 with the same industry which his father exhibited in investigating 

 the habits and manners of Bees. The observations which he made 

 on these insects, have been fully confirmed in reference to many 

 curious points, which at first sight seemed almost incredible. (See his 

 work entitled Histoire des Fourmis.') 



