BATTLKS OF THE BLACK ANTS. 65 



dieted mortal wounds, had never relaxed their iron em- 

 brace but lay dead in pairs. 



The conflict was not yet ended and I watched one of 

 these Homeric encounters. An ant had his antagonist's 

 feeler in his jaws. The combatant, thus held, twisted and 

 turned to get his own mandibles upon feeler, leg, neck or 

 waist of his antagonist. He was, evidently, much un- 

 nerved by the other's hold, for these antennae seem as sen- 

 sitive as the eyeball, and he was dragged about, resisting 

 and struggling in every way, but all in vain. Finally, 

 the antenna came off near the base and the two warriors 

 parted. 



Single combats like this probably went on through the 

 day and a few occurred the following night, for in the 

 morniny; I found more dead bodies. One wounded soldier 

 died in my custody and many doubtless in cracks and 

 nooks, but the level tioor seemed to be the main battle- 

 field. Altogether I collected from the fight about seventy 

 complete bodies or dissevered heads which I preserved in 

 a red pill box — the rather gaudy tumulus of this Waterloo ! 



In the same place on the morning of July 7, following, 

 1 found traces of another l)attle which was not yet finished. 

 Again, July 19, there had been a battle during the night 

 on the bare floor of a chamber at the opposite end of the 

 house and upstairs. One morning in August, of the 

 same year, I found traces of a similar battle in the cel- 

 lar way of a neighboring house. 



Recurring to the conflict of July 7, I may give from 

 notes made at the time, a more particular description. 

 The ants engaged were evidently workers of the two 

 kinds, havino; either laro-e heads or small ones — megace- 

 phalic or microcephalic. I observed especially a struggle 

 l)etvveeii one of each kind whom I may call for l)revity, 

 Meg and Mic, or Mike, abbreviations of the above tech- 



