24 Ants. 



offensive, and thus vitiate the atmosphere ; and 

 often compel the inhabitants to keep their dwell- 

 ings, towns, and their vicinity in a state of 

 comparative cleanliness." 



These ants will soon destroy even the largest 

 animal if it is confined. In one case Savage saw 

 them kill near his house a snake four feet long. 

 Indeed, it is said that they have been known to 

 destroy the great boa, when gorged with food and 

 powerless. The natives even fancy that the 

 python, after crushing its victim, does not venture 

 to swallow it, until it has made a search, and is 

 satisfied that there are no "Drivers" in the vici- 

 nity ! It is very remarkable that these hunting ants 

 are blind. They emerge, however, principally by 

 night, and, like some of the blind hunting ants of 

 Brazil, prefer to move under covered galleries, which 

 they construct rapidly as they advance. 



5. It has long been known that ants derive a very 

 important part of their sustenance from the sweet 

 juice excreted by aphides. The ants may be said, 

 almost literally, to milk the aphides ; for the aphides 

 generally retain the secretion until the ants are 

 ready to receive it. The ants stroke and caress 

 the aphides with their antenna;, and the aphides 

 then emit the sweet fluid. These insects, in fact, 

 as has been over and over again observed, are 

 the cows of the ants. 



The different species of ants utilise different 

 species of aphis. The common brown Garden Ant 



