SLAVE-MAKING ANTS. 59 



inches from them they do not heed it; at 

 other times they take alarm, which seems to 

 be communicated by one or two apprising 

 the rest of the unusual proceeding, which I 

 think is seen rather than heard. 



But our warlike slave-makers will not run 

 for anything ; they are always ready for a 

 fight ; any unusual noise only seems to ex- 

 cite them. 



I kill eight slave-makers, and place them 

 near one of the entrances. Their comrades 

 soon throng around them, acting excitedly, 

 hurriedly touching each other's antenna?, 

 now moving in circles around the nest as if 

 to find the author of the mischief. Finding 

 nothing unusual, they become quiet, and 

 again direct their attention to their dead 

 comrades. Three are found to be not quite 

 dead; their legs move. These are carried 

 within the nest, the others are taken a long 

 distance off and left. 



Very soon a black slave brings one of the 

 dying masters out of the nest, and drops 

 him within a foot of the entrance. He hap- 

 pens to rest against a little pebble in such a 

 position that he is nearly upright, and is so 

 nearly dead that he stays just as he was left. 

 One of the nurses, going to the nest laden 

 with honey, sees him and stops; she raises 



