PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



79 



he saw a migratory army of this description pass his residence 

 which was about a hundred paces broad, and which occupied 

 more than a day and a half in passing, though the ants 

 marched rapidly and made no halt. It is to a species of the 

 ants making these migrations, that Madame Merian gave the 

 name of Ants of Visitation, before alluded to, as so useful by 

 entering all the houses on their march, and clearing them of 

 all noxious insects or other animals. M. Lacordaire, however, 

 denies that any such object actuates these migrating ants, 

 which he says often pass houses without entering them ; and 

 that when they do, it is for want of food on their route, 

 though he admits that in this case they leave no living 

 animal in the houses which they visit, as he himself once 

 witnessed at Cayenne. 1 But whatever may be the fact as to 

 the migrating ants of Cayenne, the Chasseur-Ants of Trinidad 

 would seem to migrate for the express purpose of scouring 

 human habitations for food, according to the account given 

 by Mrs. Carmichael, which presents so graphic a picture of 

 their proceedings, that I shall give it to you entire, especially 

 as its minute and circumstantial details seem to vouch for its 

 accuracy : — 



" One morning my attention was arrested at Laurel Hill 

 by an unusual number of black birds, whose appearance was 

 foreign to me : they were smaller, but not unlike an English 

 crow ; and were perched on a calibash-tree near the kitchen. 

 I asked the house-negress, who at that moment came up from 

 the garden, what could be the cause of the appearance of 

 those black birds ? She said, " Misses, dem be a sign of the 

 blessing of God ; dey are not de blessing, but only de sign, 

 as we say, of God's blessing. Misses, you'll see afore noon- 

 time how the ants will come and clear the houses." At this 

 moment I was called to breakfast, and thinking it was some 

 superstitious idea of hers, I paid no further attention to it. 



" In about two hours after this, I observed an uncommon 

 number of chasseur-ants crawling about the floor of the 

 room : my children were annoyed by them, and seated them- 



1 Lacordaire, Introd. a VEntom. ii. 504. 



