48 The Humming Bird. 



much from the ravages of that pest. In this connection here 

 are the observations made by a specialist. He said : — 



" It is new to us that ants are great destroyers of the 

 canker worms, and probably other worms or insects of the 

 smaller varieties. We watched with great interest the work 

 of a large colony of black ants which attacked the canker 

 worms on an elm tree in our grounds, and were delighted 

 with the nature and result of their labours. 



" Two processions of the ants were moving down, each 

 bringing with it a canker worm, which it held fast in its 

 mandibles, grasping the worm firmly in the centre of the 

 body. 



" Although the prey was nearly the size of the destroyer, 

 the plucky little ant ran down the tree in a lively way, 

 deposited its body in its nest in the ground, and instantly 

 returned for further slaughter. 



" There were at one time as many as forty coming down 

 the tree, each bringing its victim, and doing the work with 

 apparent ease. Extending our observation we noticed that 

 the ant ran up the trunk and out on the limb, and from thence 

 on to the leaves of the tree where the filthy worm was at 

 work, and, seizing him with a strong grip about the centre of 

 the body, turned about with the squirming worm, and retraced 

 his steps. 



" The worm was dead by the time the ant reached the 

 ground. If this move of the ant is common, they must prove 

 valuable friends to the farmers and fruit raisers, and should be 

 protected in every way possible. We do not believe that the 

 birds that prey upon worms will do the work in a week in our 

 orchards which these ants were doing in an hour." 



Worms have also been known to have been destroyed by 

 ants. A gentleman, a few years since, gave the following 

 account of what he saw : — 



" During the last two weeks of July I was cursed with an 

 invasion of the worms, and after I had recovered from my 

 first chargin at the prospect, I began to enjoy the antagonisms 

 between the ants and the worms. 



" If the ant attacking the worm was the large black ant, 

 one usually engaged in the contest, the ant usually took the 

 worm by the nape of the neck, and the struggle was between 

 the strength of the ant and that of the worm. The bite of 

 the ant did not seem to kill the worm at once, but the fight 

 sometimes lasted fifteen minutes, always resulting in the 

 victory of the ant. 



