103 



with their big hills, and so completely do they riddle 

 the soil that the whole area occupied by them is one 

 soft mass of small particles. Thus they injure the 

 ground. Scarcely anything will drive them from their 

 fortified rampants. Ants may often be found under 

 the bark of decayed wood, together with great numbers 

 of eggs. When any disturbance takes place they 

 hasten to the eggs, seize them in their mouths and 

 transfer them to a place of safety. Great care is 

 taken of these eggs. It is said they carry them out in- 

 to the sunshine, in good weather, and back again in 

 the evening, and at all times guard them from harm. 

 Birds, ant lions and several species of animals prey up- 

 on ants. 



The tropical ants live in large houses or nests which 

 they construct with their own labor. These are some- 

 times made of mud, and sometimes of sticks and rub- 

 bish. The outside is very hard and smooth; the inte- 

 rior is full of galleries and rooms, which are used for 

 various purposes, some for store rooms and others for 

 living in. These insects are good house builders, their 

 homes being very large, often several feet high, around 

 which are stationed sentinels or watchers, whose busi- 

 ness it is to look for danger, and as soon as any is ob- 

 served, they at once make it known to the army, which 

 they always keep, who instantly rush out and make 

 war with the enemy, sometimes conquering and some- 

 times surrendering. Tf the foe get the best of them 

 they destroy the eggs, and either tare down the houses 

 or take possession of them for their own accommoda- 

 tion. These ants are very troublesome to the people 

 who are strangers to the climate and surroundings. 



