76 
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, 
pession of a pupa, it is generally very sgon overcome. While 
the main part of the army is penetrating into the nest to steal 
the pupse, some divisions pursue the fugitives, to take away from 
them the few pupae which may chance to have been saved. 
They drive them even out of the cricket-holes in which they 
have meanwhile taken refuge. In short, it is a razzia , or sweep- 
ing burglary, as complete as can be imagined. In the retreat 
the robbers in no wise hurry themselves, for they know that 
they are threatened by no danger and no loss, and the complete 
emptying of a large and distant nest often takes several days in 
accomplishing. The ants which have been so thoroughly robbed 
scarcely every return to their former abode. 
It must be admitted that a human army, robbing a foreign 
town or fortress, could not behave better or more prudently. 
Huber gives the following account of a battle waged 
by sanguine ants : — • 
At ten, in a J uly morning, he noticed a small band of them 
emerge from their nest, and march rapidly towards a nest of 
negroes, around which it dispersed. A number of the blacks 
rushed out, gave battle, and succeeded in defeating their in- 
vaders, and in making several of Ihem prisoners. Upon this, 
the remainder of the attacking force waited for a reinforcement. 
When this came up, they still declined further proceedings, 
and sent more aides-de-camp to their own nest. The result of 
these messages was a much larger reinforcement ; but even yet 
the pirates appeared to shun the combat. At last, the negroes 
marched out from their nest in a phalanx of about two feet 
square, and a number of skirmishes began, which soon ended in 
a general melee. Long before the event seemed certain, the 
negroes carried off their pupse to the most distant part of the 
nest ; and when, after a longer encounter, they appeared to think 
further resistance vain, they retreated, attempting to take with 
them their young. In this, however, they were prevented, and 
the invaders obtained possession of their nest and the booty. 
When they had done this, they put in a garrison, and occupied 
the night and the succeeding day in carrying off their spoil. 
Buchner says— 
Battles between ants of the same species often end with a 
lasting alliance, especially when the number of the workers on 
both sides is comparatively small. The wise little animals under 
such circumstances discover, much more quickly and better than 
men, that they can only destroy each other by fighting, while 
union would benefit both parties. Sometimes they drive each 
