HYMENOPTERA. 
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Very soon they arrived near a nest of ashy-black ants, whose 
ome rose among the grass, at twenty paces from the hedge.» A 
few ants of this species were at the door of their habitation. As 
soon as they descried the army which was approaching, they threw 
shemselves on those which were at the head of the cohort. “the 
alarm spread at the same instant in the interior of the nest, and 
sheir companions rushed out in crowds from all the subterranean 
passages. The russet ants, the body of whose army was only two 
paces distant, hastened to arrive at the foot of the nest ; the whole 
iroop precipitated itself forward at the same time, and knocked 
the ashy-black ants head over heels, who, after a very short, but 
very smart combat, retired to the extremity of the habitation. 
The russet ants clambered up the sides of the hillock, flocked to 
the summit, and introduced themselves in great numbers into the 
lirst avenues; other groups worked with ee teeth, making a 
lateral aperture. In this they succeeded, and the rest of the army 
penetrated through the breach into the besieged city. They did 
inot make a long stay there; in three or four minutes the russet 
ants came out again in haste, by the same adits, carrying each one 
in its mouth a pupa or larva belonging to the conquered. They 
again took exactly the same road by which they had come, and 
followed each other in a straggling manner; their line was 
easily to be distinguished on the grass by the appearance which 
this multitude of white shells and pupz, carried by as many russet- 
coloured ants, presented. They passed through the hedge a 
Recond time, crossed the road, and then steered their course into a 
field of ripe wheat, whither, I regret to say, [ was unable to follow 
| them.’’* 
| Huber adds that having returned to the pillaged nest to 
}examine it more closely, he saw some ashy-black workers bring- 
‘ing back to their home the few larve which they had succeeded 
in saving. Having later discovered the nest of these Amazons, 
which is the name he gives to the warrior ants, he found there 
imany of the ashy-black ants hving on very good terms with their 
kidnappers. 
The Amazons begin their expeditions at the end of June, 
during the hottest hours of the day. They come out in long 
* “Recherches sur les Moeurs des Fourmis indigénes.”’ Paris, 1810, p. 210. 

