300 LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 
alarm, a large reinforcement immediately set out 
to join the besieging army ; yet even then they 
did not begin the battle. Almost all the negroes 
coming out of their fortress, formed themselves 
in a body of about two feet square in front of 
it, and there expected the enemy. Frequent 
skirmishes were the prelude to the main con- 
flict, which was begun by the negroes. Long 
before success appeared dubious, they carried off 
their pupae and heaped them up at the entrance 
to their nest, on the side opposite to the enemy. 
The young females also fled to the same quarter. 
The sanguine ants at length rushed upon the ne- 
groes, and attacking them on all sides, after a 
stout resistance, the latter renouncing all defence, 
endeavoured to make off to a distance with the 
pupae they had heaped up : the assailants pursued 
and endeavoured to. gain the prize. Many also 
entered the nest and carried off the young brood 
left behind. A garrison being left in the captured 
city, on the following morning the business of 
transporting the brood is renewed. It often 
happens that the invaders take up their habita- 
tion in their new conquest. Because these negro 
ants are made slaves, you must not imagine they 
are treated with rigour or unkindness. They 
have only the same labours they must have 
