ANT.

ready to fight in defense of their right to them-that, to secure them for themselves, they convey them from one place to another-and that the Aphis radicum, which derives its nutriment from the roots of grass and other plants, is actually kept in large numbers in the nest of the Yellow Ant (Formica flava), in order that there may be always at hand a copious supply of food, these aphides and their eggs sharing the solicitude of the ants equally with their own eggs and young. Things so wonderful are ascertained beyond dispute in regard to the instincts of ants, that even such statements as these must not be hastily rejected as incredible, and certainly they express the beliefs of careful and scientific observers.

Ants which feed upon animal food render important service in clearing away every vestige of the flesh of dead animals, and so preventing corruption; and very beautiful skeletons of small animals have been obtained by burying the animal for a short time in an ant hill. But ants also attack living animals: insects of comparatively large size fall a prey to them, and in tropical countries, birds, reptiles, and small quadrupeds are sometimes devoured by their vast swarms, which strip the bones of the animal perfectly clean with wonderful rapidity. Domestic animals, at least when sick, are not safe from them, and man himself regards them with dread. About a hundred years ago, vast numbers of a particular kind of ant (F. saccharivora) appeared in the island of Grenada. This species makes its nest under the roots of plants, and the sugar-canes were so weakened and

injured in consequence, that the plantations became nearly unproductive. They descended from the hills like torrents, and the plantations, as well as every path and road for miles, were filled with them. Rats, mice, and reptiles of every kind became an easy prey to them; and even the birds, which they attacked whenever they lighted on the ground in search of food, were so harassed, as to be at Tength unable to resist them. Streams of water opposed only a temporary obstacle to their progress; the foremost

ANT.

rushing blindly on certain death, and fresh armies instantly following, till a bank was formed of the carcasses of those which were drowned, sufficient to dam up the waters, and allow the main body to pass over in safety below. Even fire was tried without effect. When it was lighted to arrest their route, they rushed into the blaze in such myriads as to extinguish it.' A reward of $100,000 was offered in vain for an effectual means of destroying them; but in 1780, a hurricane which tore up the canes, and exposed their habitations to a deluge of rain, freed the island from this plague.

The habitations of ants are very curiously constructed, displaying great ingenuity, although with great diversity in the different species. The greater number of species form their habitations in the ground. These rise above the surface in the form of a dome; hence the name ant-hills commonly given them. The largest ant-hills formed by any British species are those of the large red or horse ants (Formica rufa), which are sometimes as big as a small haycock; but travellers in S. Amer. describe ant-hills of 15 or 20 ft. in height. The nest of F. rufa is outwardly of rude appearance-a confused heap of such portable materials as were within reach; but within, it contains numerous small apartments, of different sizes, arranged in separate stories, some deep in the earth, some above its surface, and communicating with each other by means of galleries. Use is made of the earth excavated from below to mix with other materials in the construction of the upper parts of the fabric. Many species of ants, sometimes called Mason Ants, construct habitations by a still more elaborate masonry, making

Section of Bank, showing Nests of the Mason Ant.

use, for this purpose, of soft clay, which they spread and mold by means of their mandibles and feet, appearing all the while to examine their work by their antennæ. The partition-walls of the galleries and apartments of the Formica brunnea are about half a line thick, and about half an inch high; the roofs are somewhat arched, and pillars are frequent in this marvellous architecture. M. Huber saw a

ANT.

working-ant of another species (F. fusca), without assistance, make and cover in a gallery which was two or three inches long, and of which the interior was rendered perfectly concave. There are other species, sometimes called Carpenter Ants, which make their habitations in the trunks

of old trees, gnawing the wood into apartments and galleries, with floors and partitions as thin as card. Formica flava forms its partitionwalls of a sort of papiermáché of sawdust, earth, and spider's web. F. smaragdina, an East Indian species, forms its nest of a thin silklike tissue. F. bispinosa, in Cayenne, makes a felt of the down which envelops the seeds of the Bombax Criba. An East Indian species, Myrmica Kirbii, forms globular nest of a congeries of tile-like lamina of cowdung, the interior exhibiting an assemblage of apartments and galleries. Some Australian ants form their nests of the leaves of trees glued together, after being first brought into the proper position by the united strength of multitudes.

a

Of the ants which form their nests in the ground, some, instead of constructing ant-hills, seek the protection of stones, roots of trees, etc. This is the case with some of the British species, and also with the sugar ant of the West Indies, already mentioned.

Many interesting anecdotes are on record illustrative of the instincts of ants, and of the sagacity which they seem to possess. They appear also to have some power of communicating with each other, in which it has been supposed that the antennæ are chiefly employed. Some such power might be supposed to be necessary, if we could venture to reason from analogy upon such a subject, not only to their architectural and other ordinary operations, in which many must take part, systematically and conjointly, but also in their predatory and warlike excursions; for these also some of the species have. If, during the predatory excursions of the Atta cephalotes (S. Amer. species), an intervening space occurs which they cannot cross, some of the creatures link themselves together-as monkeys, in like circumstances, have been known to do-forming a bridge over which the main body passes. Ants are, in general, both courageous and pugnacious. Many battles take place among them, both between individuals and large parties; and after a battle, combatants may be found locked in each other's arms, as having died together in the struggle. More extraordinary than anything of this kind, however, is the fact, sufficiently ascertained, that some species of ants go on regular forays to carry off the larvæ and pupa of certain other species,

ANTACID.

which they carry to their own habitations to rear and employ them as slaves in the work which might be regarded as properly belonging to workers of their own race-a fact to which no other at all analogous has yet presented itself in natural history. The species known thus to make and keep slaves are Polyergus rufescens and Formica sanguinea, both sometimes called Amazon Ants. It has been noted as a curious circumstance that the kidnappers are red or palecolored ants, and the slaves jet black. The kidnapping excursions take place only at a particular period of the year, when the nests of the black ants contain the neuter brood. The army of red ants (P. rufescens) marches forth, the vanguard, which consists of eight or ten only, continually changing; and on their arriving at the nest of the negro ants, a desperate conflict ensues, which ends in the defeat of the negroes; and thereupon the red ants, with their powerful mandibles, tear open the now undefended ant-hill, enter it, and emerge, carrying the pupa in their mouths, with which they return in perfect order to their own nest. The pupa are there treated with great care, and spend their lives among the red ants, excavating passages, collecting food, carrying larvæ, etc., as if this had been their original destination. The amazon ants are not natives of Britain, although plentiful in some parts of Europe.-The Agricultural Ants of Texas are a recent discovery-said to plant, as well as harvest, a species of grass (Aristida): and the Honey Ant of Texas sets apart some individuals as living bottles of honey, vastly distended, from which the rest draw supply: see Plate II.

TERMITES (q.v.), or WHITE ANTS, are very different from the true ants, and belong to the order Neuroptera. See Lubbock's Ants, Bees, and Wasps (1882). See FORMIC.

ANTACID, ănt-ăs'id [Gr. anti, against; L. acidus, acid]: any substance, as potash, soda, magnesia, lime, etc., which counteracts acidity or neutralizes it, especially in the stomach and intestinal canal, by directly combining with the free acid that may be present. The action of antacids is obviously merely temporary, as, unless combined with other medicines, they do not correct the morbid condition which causes the undue acidity; and their too prolonged use must be carefully avoided, since, at all events, some of these medicines, as the alkalies and their carbonates, are liable to induce a state of general anæmia, morbid deposits in the urine, and a series of symptoms not unlike those of scurvy. Antacids are best given in association with vegetable tonics; and for the reasons already stated, their administration must be carefully watched, and should be occasionally omitted. Dr. Neligan makes the following excellent remarks on the particular remedy to be employed for special forms of acidity: When the acid exists in the stomach in the gaseous state, ammonia or its carbonates should be preferred, as, in consequence of their volatility, a gaseous acid which would elude the action of the fixed alkalies may be neutralized by them. If the acidity be present in the lower bowel, as in the cæcum or colon, magnesia or lime ought to be administered, as being less likely than the other antacids

ANTE-ANTALCIDAS.

to be neutralized or absorbed before it reaches that portion of the intestinal canal. When the acid exists in the urinary organs, the alkalies will be found best adapted, as they have a tendency to act more directly on the kidneys; and when it is lithic (or uric) acid which preponderates in the urine, the preparations of lithia or potash should be preferred to those of soda, as the salts formed by the two former with the acid in question are much more soluble than those formed with the latter. In persons of a corpulent habit of body, potash is to be preferred to ammonia or soda when the use of an alkali is indicated. And finally, ammonia and its preparations are best adapted for the old and debilitated, as also for those of enfeebled constitution.' The antacids include solutions of ammonia, lime (commonly known as lime-water), potash, and soda, various carbonates of these substances, magnesia and its carbonates, and the carbonate and citrate of lithia.

Many of the medicines of this class possess other properties besides that of neutralizing free acids.

ANTE: see PILASTER.

ANTAGONIST, n. ăn-tigi-nist [F. antagoniste, an antagonist-from Gr. antagonis'tes, a combatant-from Gr. anti, against; agōnis'tēs, a combatant]: one who contends with another; an opponent; an enemy. ANTAG'ONISM, n. -nizm, active opposition. ANTAGONIZE, V. ăn-tăg'ō nîz, to act in opposition; to strive against. ANTAG'ONIZ'ING, imp. ANTAGONIZED, pp. -izd. ANTAGONISTIC, a. ăn-tigo-nis tik, striving against. ANTAG'ONIS'TICALLY, ad. -nis'ti-kal-i. ANTAGONISTIC FORCES, two powers in nature, the one counteracting the other, as fire and water.-SYN. of 'antagonist': an adversary; enemy; opponent; foe.

ANTALCIDAS, ăn-tăl si-dăs: a Spartan statesman, who in the earlier part of the 4th c. B.C. was conspicuous in a very perilous crisis of the history of his nation by his skilful policy. Some time after the Peloponnesian War, it seemed as if Athens were destined to regain the supremacy she had lost. The Greek states rallied round her; while Conon, an able and vigilant Athenian admiral, and his ally, Pharnabazus, the Persian, were everywhere victorious in their naval encounters with the Spartan fleet. It became necessary, therefore, that communications should be entered into with the Persian king, from whom the confederate Greeks drew their chief resources. A. was chosen ambassador to Tiribazus, satrap of w. Asia. On hearing this, the Athenians grew alarmed, and sent Conon to frustrate the schemes of the former; but Tiribazus took A.'s part, and the result was that Conon was thrown into prison, and A. secretly received money to enable Sparta to continue the war. At first, Artaxerxes, the Persian monarch, was dissatisfied with the conduct of his satrap, recalled him, and put Struthas, a friend of Athens, in his place; but through a complication of circumstances, A. was subsequently completely successful in securing the good-will of Artaxerxes. He was then appointed admiral of the Spartan fleet, and assisted by Tiribazus, Ariobarzanes, etc., swept