394 THE INSECT WORLD. 
Very soon they arrived near a nest of ashy-black ants, whose 
dome rose among the grass, at twenty paces from the hedge. A 
few ants of this species were at the door of their habitation. As 
soon as they descried the army which was approaching, they threw 
themselves on those which were at the head of the cohort. The 
alarm spread at the same instant in the interior of the nest, and 
their companions rushed out in crowds from all the subterranean 
passages. The russet ants, the body of whose army was only two 
paces distant, hastened to arrive at the foot of the nest ; the whole 
troop precipitated itself forward at the same time, and knocked 
the ashy-black ants head over heels, who, after a very short, but 
very smart combat, retired to the extremity of the habitation. 
The russet ants clambered up the sides of the hillock, flocked to 
the summit, and introduced themselves in great numbers into the 
first avenues; other groups worked with their teeth, making a 
lateral aperture. In this they succeeded, and the rest of the army 
penetrated through the breach into the besieged city. ‘They did 
not make a long stay there; in three or four minutes the russet 
ants came out again in haste, by the same adits, carrying each one 
in its mouth a pupa or larva belonging to the conquered. ‘They 
again took exactly the same road by which they had come, and 
followed each other in a straggling manner; their lne was 
easily to be distinguished on the grass by the appearance which 
this multitude of white cocoons and larve, carried by as many 
russet-coloured ants, presented. They passed through the hedge 
a second time, crossed the road, and then steered their course into 
a field of ripe wheat, whither, I regret to say, I was unable to 
follow them.” * 
Huber adds that, having returned to the pillaged nest to 
examine it more closely, he saw some ashy-black workers bringing 
back to their home the few larve which they had succeeded in 
saving. Having later discovered the nest of these Amazons, 
which is the name he gives to the warrior ants, he found there 
many of the ashy-black ants living on very good terms with their 
kidnappers, 
The Amazons begin their expeditions at the end of June, 
during the hottest hours of the day. They come out in long 
* “ Recherches sur les Moeurs des Fourmis indigénes.’’ Paris, 1810. P. 210. 
