522 



Brazilian Ants, 



The extraordinary instinct of these animals, which recent ob- 

 servations have brought to light, is no doubt similar to that which 

 Huber has observed to belong to different species of European 

 ants, and which consists in one species carrying on formal warfare 

 with the other, and having defeated their armies, penetrating into 

 their dwellings and carrying away in triumph their cocoons and ca- 

 terpillars. The ants hatched from these, must now serve during 

 their conquerors' lives as slaves, must provide for the victualling of the 

 republic, for the preservation of the dwelling, and the hatching of 

 the brood. From military service only are they exempted. I 

 have found the like instinct in the ants of the New World, as I 

 have already mentioned. A species (Myrmica paleata,) whose hill 

 contained individuals of the neutral sex of another species, (M. 

 erythrothorax,) these were obliged to provide for the victualling 

 of the republic. I have observed this similarity, even in another 

 species, which forms a new genus, (Ancylognathus lugubris, M.) 

 while one day encountering its armies coming home from a pil- 

 laging excursion. They marched in close ranks, were loaded with 

 cocoons and caterpillars of ants, and no doubt had to do with a 

 valiant enemy, who unwilling to surrender their liberty, sold their 

 lives as dearly as possible ; because almost all the specimens I saw 

 had their legs more or less mangled. I believe such traits of 

 character to be pretty common amongst the numerous species of 

 ants in Brazils, as nothing is more common there than such close 

 drawn ranks of ants, marching in great haste, and without carrying 

 any thing which would account for their object ; while the vic- 

 tualling of the habitation is executed in a quite different manner. 



There has already been observed amongst some of the species of 

 European ants, particularly in individuals of the neutral sex, a pe- 

 culiar race, which are distinguished from the others by a more consi- 

 derable size of the body, but especially of the head. These varieties 

 are much more conspicuous amongst certain foreign ants, and which 

 on that account are called Atta cephalotes. But what has little been 

 suspected is, that such varieties or distinguished individuals perform 

 distinct functions in society from the common working ants. I have 

 had an opportunity of verifying this in a species of the genus Myrmi- 

 ca, which I intend to describe more fully in Guerin's Entomological 



