Chap. XXVII. 
BLACK SOLDIEK-ANTS. 
537 
regiments of black soldier-antSj returning from tbeir maraiicling 
expeditions. These I have often noticed before in different parts 
of the country; and as we had even at Kolobeng an opportunity 
of observing their habits^ I may give a short account of them here. 
They are black, with a slight tinge of grey, about half an inch in 
length, and on the line of march appear thi^ee or four abreast; 
when disturbed, they utter a distinct hissing or chirping sound. 
They follow a few leaders who never carry anything, and they 
seem to be guided by a scent left on the path by the leaders; for 
happening once to throw the water from my basin behind a bush 
where I was dressing, it lighted on the path by which a regiment 
had passed before I began my toilette, and when they retmmed 
they were totally at a loss to find the way home, though they 
continued searching for it nearly half an hour. It was found only 
by one makhig a long circuit round the wetted spot. The scent 
may have indicated also, the propriety of their going in one 
direction only. If a handful of earth is tlirown on the path, 
at the middle of the regiment, either on its way home or abroad, 
those behind it are completely at a loss as to their further 
progress. Whatever it may be that guides them, they seem only 
to know that they are not to return, for they come up to the 
handful of earth, but will not cross it, though not a quarter of an 
inch high. They wheel round and regain their path again, but 
never think of retreating to the nest, or to the place where they 
have been stealmg. After a quarter of an hour’s confusion and 
liissmg, one may make a cux3uit of a foot round the earth, and soon 
all foUov/ ill that roundabout way. When on their way to attack 
the abode of the white ants, the latter may be observed rushing 
about in a state of great perturbation. The black leaders, dis¬ 
tinguished from the rest by then greater size, especially in the 
region of the sting, then seize the wliite ants one by one, and 
inflict a stuig, wliich seems to inject a portion of fluid similar in 
effect to chloroform, as it renders them insensible but not dead, 
and only able to move one or two front legs. As the leaders toss 
them on one side, the rank and file seize them and carry them off. 
One morning I saw a party going forth on what has been sup¬ 
posed to be a slave-hunting expedition. They came to a stick, which, 
being enclosed in a white-ant gallery, I knew contained numbers 
of this insect; but I was surprised to see the black soldiers passing 
