44 TWO CHAPTERS ON ANTS. 



I soon filled a small vial with the females 

 which I took from the captors, and this was 

 only a small proportion in comparison with 

 what they carried to the nest. 



At the same time that these females are 

 being taken captive a portion of the army 

 are attacking another species of ant, about 

 as long as themselves, but much more slen- 

 der, and of a dark brown color. The nest is 

 beneath a gravel -walk not more than ten 

 feet from the nest of the assailants. As 

 soon as they are aware of the danger which 

 threatens them they come out in great num- 

 bers, and the nurses have pupae in their 

 mouths. This seems to puzzle the maraud- 

 ers, and they allow most of them to escape ; 

 but occasionally one tries to take a pupa 

 from its nurse, but she will not give it up, 

 so the cruel invader tries to take both nurse 

 and pupa to his own dominions. But this 

 proves a difficult proceeding, for she will 

 not roll up and be carried peaceably, but 

 struggles and holds on with her legs to va- 

 rious things with which they come in con- 

 tact. I turn monster and pick up one of 

 these devoted little creatures, and handle 

 her quite roughly, but she will not drop the 

 pupa unless I pinch her quite smartly ; then 

 she drops it in my hand, and bites fiercely, 



