160 ANTS AND ANT LIFE 



on the approach of hostile troops most of them fly into 

 the interior to seek help; and in a moment the dome is 

 reddened by an eruption of sanguine ants. If a stranger 

 pratensis be thrown on the nest, those at home will fight 

 against their own brother with similar, or even greater, 

 anger than do their masters. During a change of abode 

 Forel saw the sanguine ants seize and carry off the pratenses, 

 while some of the latter turned back again. It seems as 

 though attachment to an old dwelling were stronger in the 

 latter than in the former, and this may arise from the 

 pratenses being better architects. 



The third slave-holding species in Europe is the Strongy- 

 lognathus, a small Myrmica species, which takes its slaves 

 from the Tetramorium ccespitum, or turf ants, also belonging 

 to the genus Myrmica. It is rather rare and much resembles 

 the Amazons in its habits, and like them has long pointed 

 mandibles which make it incapable of work. On the other 

 hand it can feed itself, although it does so unwillingly and 

 prefers to be fed by its slaves. This is done, as Lespes re- 

 lates, in a very peculiar manner, for its own jaws and the 

 rather long jaws of its slaves make the usual rapprochement 

 of the two mouths very difficult if not impossible. It seizes 

 the slave, lays it* gently on its back, and lets itself be fed in 

 this position, in which the two mouths match. It also lets 

 itself be carried by its slaves, which are ten times as 

 numerous as the masters. The marauding excursions 

 appear to take place at night, for the Strongylognathus have 

 never been seen marching out during the day. 



Forel, who distinguishes two sub-species, S. testaceus and 

 S. Hubert, calls the first do-nothings or sluggards, and a 

 pitiful caricature of the Amazons. Like them it tries to 

 kill, but is generally too feeble to succeed. The defence of 

 the nest is carried out more by the slaves than by the masters. 

 Yet the latter are brave and, like the Amazons, fling them- 

 selves into the midst of the enemy, biting quickly in all 

 directions, whereat the foes are more alarmed than they 

 need be, for they seldom succeed in killing an opponent 

 while they lose their own lives. They are even too weak 

 to carry away their enemies' pupa?, and make the most 

 comical efforts over them, whereas their slaves manage the 

 task very easily. Without the latter, S. testaceus would be 

 quite unable to plunder a hostile nest. Apparently the 



