144 ANTS AND ANT LIFE 



becomes too troublesome, it takes its head between its 

 terrible jaws, and the slave submits forthwith. If it does 

 not yield at once its death is certain. Forel one day saw 

 an Amazon worried by six or seven slaves, pinched, irritated, 

 pulled by the legs, etc. It put an end to the game by 

 catching hold of one of them and piercing its head. A dry 

 season often causes a rebellious disposition on the part of the 

 slaves, the Amazons requiring drink from them too often, 

 and the slaves being unable to meet such frequent demands. 

 They become irritable and bad tempered and would seriously 

 attack their masters if they were able to overcome them. 



To come back to the marauding excursions. Lespes 

 arrived at the conclusion that these expeditions were not 

 carried out without ripe consideration and consultation, as 

 well as preceding inquiries by special emissaries as to the 

 hostile nests, which are often hard to find. Forel often saw 

 single Amazons or small divisions leave the nests at different 

 times during the day, and run about searching in various 

 directions. These scouts serve later as leaders of the expedi- 

 tion. Forel also saw four or five inspecting a discovered 

 nest of F. fusca and carefully investigating the entrances 

 and the situation. This is the more necessary as the 

 entrances are often difficult to find, so that in spite of all 

 care and forethought the expeditions not seldom end without 

 result. On the 29th July, 1873, in the afternoon at about 

 five o'clock, Forel saw an enormous army of Amazons 

 (about 1500) set out, and return home without finding any- 

 thing. Another time he saw them vainly endeavor for a 

 long time to penetrate into a nest of the fusca, the 

 dome of which was quite closed, and communicated with 

 the outer world by a subterranean canal opening at a distant 

 spot. On another occasion it was a whole hour before 

 they were able to find the entrance of a subterranean nest 

 of the fusca. Lastly, Forel saw the leaders, before an expe- 

 dition began, walk about on the surface of the nest for a 

 long time, as though in consultation. Suddenly several of 

 them went inside the nest, and soon afterwards out rushed 

 crowds of warriors, which tapped each others' heads with 

 their antennas. Some, meanwhile, remained in the nest each 

 time. The expedition was then arranged, the slaves paying 

 no attention to the whole matter. The continual renewal 

 of the head of the column arises from the fact, observed by 



