82 WAYS OP THE SIX-FOOTED 



The tendency is for the slaves to do the work of the 

 commune, leaving the fighting for their masters. The 

 Amazon ants described by Huber have become so de- 

 pendent on their slaves that they no longer have the 

 ability to make their nests, feed their young, or even 

 feed themselves. Huber made a famous experiment 

 by putting thirty of the Amazons with their young 

 in a box with some food. All of them were on the 

 verge of starvation, and some were even dead, when 

 Huber introduced one of the slaves, who immediately 

 resuscitated the fainting Amazons by feeding them, 

 took care of the young, and made a nest, and, single- 

 handed, established order. 



The Amazons had retained only the power of fight- 

 ing, for they were still most skilful and intrepid 

 warriors. An instance of their martial acumen is shown 

 in this observation by Huber : When they attacked 

 the nests of their usual slaves, the pacific negro ants, 

 they made the onslaught in solid column, made sure 

 of their booty, and then scattered in disorder, each 

 reaching the home nest as best she could. The negro 

 ants are not good fighters, so this method of retreat 

 was feasible. When there were no negro nests to 

 pillage, the Amazons enslaved the miner ants, who 

 are brave and tenacious fighters and follow the foe to 

 their own gates rather than give up their young to 



