96 ON THE HABITS OF ANTS. [lect. 



seize them by the neck or by an antenna. They also 

 have the instinct of combining in small parties, three 

 or four seizing an enemy at once, and then pulling 

 different ways, so that she on her part cannot get at 

 any one of her foes. One of them then jumps on 

 her back and cuts, or rather saws off, her head. In 

 battles between this ant and the much larger F. pra- 

 tensis, many of the latter may be seen, each with a 

 little F. exsecta on her back, sawing off her head from 

 behind. 



One might, at first sight, be disposed to consider 

 that the ants with stings must have a great advantage 

 over those with none. In some cases, however, 

 the poison is so strong that it is sufficient for it to 

 touch the foes to place them hors de combat, or at least 

 to render them incapacitated, with every appearance 

 of extreme pain. Such species have the abdomen 

 unusually mobile. 



The species of Lasius make up in numbers what they 

 want in strength. Several of them seize an enemy at 

 the same time, one by each of her legs or antennae, 

 and when they have once taken hold they will suffer 

 themselves to be cut in pieces rather than let go. 



Polyergus ru/escens, the celebrated slave-making or 

 Amazon ant, has a mode of combat almost peculiar to 

 herself. Her jaws are very powerful, and pointed. If 

 attacked — if, for instance, another ant seizes her by 

 a leg — she at once takes her enemy's head into her 

 jaws, thus generally making her quit her hold. If 

 she does not, the Polyergus closes her mandibles, so 

 that the points pierce the brain of her enemy, paralyzing 

 the nervous system. The victim falls in convulsions, 



