Mind in the Lower Animals. 171 



ground, but it was instantly seized by one of the marauders, and 

 a fierce struggle ensued, which was not terminated while I watched 

 them. But in a few seconds, as I watched the hole down which 

 most of the company had disappeared one by one, I saw an ant 

 come struggling out, in a state of great excitement. It was of a 

 smaller kind than those which I had watched cross the road. Pres- 

 ently it was followed by another of the same kind, in (as I was 

 about to say) much the same excited state, and as time passed 

 on these two were joined by others. The place evidently belonged 

 to them. They ran violently about the hole, and even up to the 

 top of the blades of grass, and then jumped off to the ground in a 

 distracted and reckless manner. At times two of them would meet 

 and, apparently, stop for a hurried exchange of ideas, and then they 

 would run about in the same frantic manner. Meantime all the 

 larger ants had gone down into the hole. In a few moments, how- 

 ever, these latter ants began to reappear, one by one, each bearing 

 a white egg not far from hatching, as the outline of the young ant 

 could be seen through the cuticle. But no sooner had these latter 

 ants reached the open day with their booty than they were fero- 

 ciously attacked by the smaller ones, to whom the eggs properly 

 belonged. And here began a series of struggles of the most ani- 

 mated and interesting character — one set of ants striving, by 

 might and main, to get away with their booty, the other set strik- 

 ing for their altars and fires. But after some time had been spent 

 in this way, the larger and stronger got away, each one, on his 

 own hook, traveling with great speed, on the back track, bear- 

 ing an egg in its jaws. But now began a scene of evident 

 distress among the smaller ants whose home had just been 

 robbed in so miserable a manner. They ran round and round, in 

 helpless bewilderment, meeting and consulting (apparently) and 

 passing each other, and diving into their den, and then out 

 again. And in this distressing condition I left them. I fol- 

 lowed on after the marauders, and found most of them already 

 across the road. At last, fully sixty yards from the scene of 

 the robbery, they came to their own den, and carried the eggs 

 down into a special chamber, as I afterwards found. After the 

 eggs had been deposited below, the ants of the expedition came 



