No living creatures known to the writer so closely resemble man in the tendency to wage pitched battles as do ants. Vast numbers of separate species, or of hostile factions of the same species, may he seen massed in combat, which is continued for hours, days, or, in at least one case noted, for over a week.
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The mass seemed to boil with the intensity of the action. There was no appearance of orderly array or "line of battle" formation. It was literally a melee, recalling descriptions of battles in the days of chivalry, when armored warriors fought hand to hand.
From the central mass the numbers gradually diminished until, as spaces opened in the surrounding fringe of the fight, one could see small groups of combatants scattered over several square feet of surface. Most of them were duels; but trios, quartets, quintets abounded. In one case six ants were engaged with one; in the centre, two were tugging with interlocked mandibles, and five others were grouped around, like spokes in a wheel, each sawing or pulling at a limb of the unfortunate central integer, who was being torn to pieces. Here and there a larger group would be piled upon one another, heaving, pushing, tugging, like the athletes of a football rush, but with mortal intent.
The duellists seized each other by the head, frequently interclasping mandibles, and pulling backward or swaying back and forth. It was literally a "tug of war." Again, one would have her antagonist grasped by the face above the mandibles, which placed the latter at a great disadvantage. In such and other cases both ants would often be reared upon the hind and middle legs, with abdomens turned under and stinging organs out-thrust, making vicious stabs at one another. <
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