leaves her burden and rushes about to see what the interference
means; and now the soldier straightens up, as bright and lively as the
rest, and after passing her fore legs over her head and body, goes of
her own accord into the new nest, meeting with no opposition. Some of
the ants would coil up and allow themselves to be carried easily. Others
were led along by an antenna or a leg, in either case manifesting no
resistance. For three hours I watched the proceeding, and could see no
fighting. It looked precisely as if the inhabitants of the jar realized
their helpless condition, and gladly submitted to be taken prisoners or
to become partners with this new firm.

I left them, and after the lapse of two hours again visited the spot.
The seeds that had been in the jar were now being transferred to the
other nest, and two new entrances at the base of the mound were being
made. And now every little while an ant would be ejected from the nest.
One worker would bring another out and lay her down, often not more than
three inches away from the door, but, so far as I could see, she was in
no wise injured. Her first movement was to make herself presentable by
passing her fore legs over her head and body: as soon as this was
completed she returned within the nest. But there was one large soldier
which the whole community seemed combined against. She was led or
dragged away from the entrance of the nest eight times, and each time
left at the base of the mound among the rubbish. Sometimes she was led
or carried by one alone, sometimes two or three would conduct her, and
then leave her, when she would at once proceed to make her toilet; which
completed, she would again return to the door of the nest, when she
would be again conducted away, offering no resistance. I now picked her
up, which made her very fierce. She seized my glove with her powerful
mandibles, and held on with a persistency equal to the most vicious
species, at the same time trying to use her sting. As soon as I could
free her from the glove I secured her, and on reaching home placed her
under the microscope, and found she was not injured and had strong teeth
in her mandibles.

On the next day I returned her to the nest, and again she was met by the
indignant police at the door and conducted away. With her strong
mandibles she could have crushed any number of her small assailants, but
in no instance did she show the least disposition to rebel against the
indignities