PROVISIONS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS. Ill 



Slavery among Ants. — The custom of making 

 slaves is widely spread in the ant world; I have 

 already described the expeditions organised to ob- 

 tain them. We will now consider the relations of 

 these insects among themselves. 



The Formica sanguinea takes possession of the 

 eggs oi the Formica fusca and rears them with its own. 

 When the slaves reach the adult condition they live 

 beside their masters and share their labours, for the 

 latter work, are skilful in all tasks, and can by their 

 own activity construct an ant-hill and keep it going. 

 If they desire servants, it is not in order to throw all 

 the work on them, but to have intelligent assistants. 

 This is the primitive form of slavery as it first existed 

 among men. It was not until later that it became 

 modified, to become at last an institution against 

 which the sentiment of justice arose. Other species 

 of Ants have pushed the exploitation of slaves to a 

 point Man has never reached. But the Formica 

 sanguinea are companions to their helpers rather than 

 masters, and even show them great consideration. 

 When the colony emigrates one may see the owners 

 of the nest, who are of larger size than the Formica 

 fusca, take these up in their jaws and carry them the 

 entire way. 



The Amazons (Polyergus rufescens) act otherwise. 

 Very skilful in obtaining slaves and powerfully armed 

 for triumphant raids, their nests always contain 

 legions of servants, and the custom of being waited 

 upon has become so impressed on the race by heredity 

 that it is an instinct stronger even than personal pre- 

 servation. The master ant has not only lost the taste 

 and the idea of work, but even the habit of feeding 

 himself, and would die of hunger beside a pile of 



