108 ANTS AND ANT LIFE. 



now prefer to say, annex it more conveniently by thieving 

 or plundering, either from human stores and granaries, or 

 from the granaries of their own relations. Moggridge saw 

 a flourishing colony of Atta structor in the main street of 

 Mentone, which had settled itself down happily at the door 

 of a corn chandler, and carried up the grains falling from 

 oats and wheat. Another nest, in another part of the town, 

 obtained a part of its food from the canary seeds scattered 

 by some caged birds above. Moggridge also discovered 

 some secret robber-paths from several nests to human 

 granaries lying near, and the establishment of such passages 

 is the more possible as the species noticed by him, as Mogg- 

 ridge showed, are able to make tunnels and galleries in 

 hard stone (sandstone) ! 



But the harvesting ants, like men, find it most convenient 

 and handiest to practice robbery and plundering on their 

 own brothers and relations. Perhaps they are also driven 

 in this direction by the warlike and battle-loving spirit in- 

 nate in most species of ants. The shining, coal black Atta 

 barbara chiefly distinguishes itself in this way, and often 

 carries on plundering fights that last for days and weeks. 

 Moggridge saw such a struggle that went on from the 18th 

 of January to the 4th of March. As often as he visited 

 the place during this time, he saw only scenes of battle and 

 plunder. The hostile nests lay about fifteen feet apart, and 

 the ants fought in the bitterest fashion over every grain of 

 corn. The ground was always covered with the slain and 

 the terribly mutilated. Most frequently the hinder part of 

 the body was bitten or dragged off. But the remaining 

 portion, consisting often of only the head and a few legs, clung 

 to the disputed grain with spasmodic force, and was often 

 pulled away with it by the victor. Only when a fighter 

 succeeded in injuring or tearing off the feelers of its rival, 

 did the latter appear quite palsied and defenceless. 



Moggridge soon became convinced that the dwellers in 

 the upper nest plundered the granaries of the lower one, 

 while the dwellers in the latter tried to get back their stolen 

 seed, or in return to steal some food. The thieves which 

 had commenced the strife were clearly the stronger, and 

 whole trains of laden robbers took their way to the higher 

 nest, while comparatively few seeds found their way, in re- 

 turn, to the lower. Even this only succeeded occasionally, 



