BATTLES OF THE BLACK ANTS. 67 



several days later, perhaps from some abnormal condition 

 of his contiuemeiit. Unfortunately, I did not note which 

 died the sooner, but probably it was Meg, who was more 

 injured. 



Often since the above observations, I have noticed, about 

 another residence, the corpses left by similar encounters 

 of these ants but I have discovered no additional facts. 

 No similar battles of our other Massachusetts species have 

 ever come under my observation. 



Some twelve or tifteen years ago an anonymous corre- 

 spondent of the St. Louis liepul)lican described a battle 

 of ants in southwestern Missouri. Evidently these were 

 our " black ants." The account tallies so exactly with 

 what I have seen in our own county, that I quote it entire, 

 as follows : 



" I am a pedagogue in the rural districts of Newton 

 County, Missouri, and my schoolhouse had been infested 

 for several months by a species of a large black ant, much 

 to the annoyance of the little barefooted scholars, and 

 there seemed to be no way of getting rid of the pest. 

 But what was my astonishment a few mornings since on 

 coming into my school-house, to tind the floor literally 

 strewn with dead and dying ants, and upon a closer ex- 

 amination to tind that a desperate battle was then raging 

 among them more sanguinary and fatal than any I ever 

 witnessed (and I saw many a hard-fought battle during the 

 late unpleasantness) or read of [in the annals of history] . 

 A much larger number were lying dead than were left en- 

 gaged, and I therefore concluded the battle had raged all 

 night. Most of the combatants engaged were grappled 

 in a deadly embrace, while others but recently commenced 

 were standing erect on their hind legs, and soaring for the 

 advantage with all the science of the most experienced 

 swordsmen or pugilists. The most fatal point of attack, 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXIX 5* 



