Chap Y. 
A RETUKNING ARMY. 
355 
their prey, the little Ecitons seemed to be divided into 
parties, one set excavating, and another set carrying 
away the grains of earth. When the shafts became 
rather deep, the mining parties had to climb up the 
sides each time they wished to cast out a pellet of 
earth ; but their work was lightened for them by com- 
rades, who stationed themselves at the mouth of the 
shaft, and relieved them of their burthens, carrying the 
particles, with an appearance of foresight which quite 
staggered me, a sufficient distance from the edge of the 
hole to prevent them from rolling in again. All the 
work seemed thus to be performed by intelligent co- 
operation amongst the host of eager little creatures ; 
but still there was not a rigid division of labour, for 
some of them, whose proceedings I watched, acted at 
one time as carriers of pellets, and at another as miners, 
and all shortly afterwards assumed the office of con- 
veyors of the spoil. 
In about two hours, all the nests of Formicae were 
rifled, though not completely, of their contents, and I 
turned towards the army of Ecitons, which were carrying 
away the mutilated remains. For some distance there 
were many separate lines of them moving along the 
slope of the bank ; but a short distance off, these all 
converged, and then formed one close and broad column, 
which continued for some sixty or seventy yards, and 
terminated at one of those large termitariums already 
described in a former chapter as being constructed of a 
material as hard as stone. The broad and compact 
column of ants moved up the steep sides of the hil- 
lock in a continued stream ; many, which had hitherto 
