72 
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 
by thousands out of the same holes, with their larvae and pup* 
in their jaws, and escaped to the nearest plants and bushes, 
running over the heaps of their assailants. These looked on 
the matter as hopeless, and began to retreat. But the rufi- 
barbes , furious at their proceedings, pursued them, and en- 
deavoured to get away from them the few pupae they had ob- 
t lined, by trying to seize the Amazons’ legs and to snatch away 
the pupae. The Amazon lets its jaws slip slowly along the 
captive pupa, as far as the head of its opponent, and pierces it, 
if it does not, as generally happens, draw back. But it often 
manages to seize the pupa at the instant at which the Amazon 
lets it go and flies with it. This is managed yet more easily 
when a comrade holds the robber by the legs, and compels it to 
loose its prey in order to guard itself against its assailant. 
Sometimes the robbers seize empty cocoons and carry them 
away, but they leave them on the road when they have dis- 
covered their mistake. In the above case the strength of the 
rufibarbes proved at last so great that the rearguard of the re- 
treating army was seriously pressed, and was obliged to give up 
its booty. A number of the Amazons also were overpowered 
and killed, but not without the rufibarbes also losing many 
people. None the less did seme individuals, as though despe- 
rate, iv sh into the thickest hosts of the enemy, penetrated 
again into the nest, and carried off several pupse by sheer au- 
dacity and skill. Most of them left their prey to go to the 
help of their comrades when assailed by the rufibarbes. Ten 
minutes after the commencement of the retreat all the Amazons 
had left the nest, and, being swifter than their opponents, they 
were only pursued for about halfway back. Their attack had 
failed on account of a short delay ! 
On another occasion observed by Forel, in which several 
fertile Amazons also took part and killed many enemies, the 
nest was thoroughly ravished, but the retreat was also in this 
case very much disturbed and harassed by the superior numbers 
of the enemy. There were many slain on both sides. That in 
spite of the above-mentioned unanimity different opinions among 
the members of an expedition sometimes hinder its conduct, the 
following observation seems to show : — An advancing column 
divided after it had gone about ten yards from the nest. Half 
turned back, while the other half went on, but after some time 
hesitated and also turned back. Arrived at home, it found 
those which had formerly turned back putting themselves in 
motion in a new direction. The newly returned followed them, 
and the reunited army, after various wheelings, halts, &c., a 4 
