Huber then introduced a single slave (F. fusca),
and she instantly set to work, fed and saved the survivors; made some
cells and tended the larvae, and put all to rights. What can be more
extraordinary than these well-ascertained facts? If we had not known
of any other slave-making ant, it would have been hopeless to have
speculated how so wonderful an instinct could have been perfected.
Formica sanguinea was likewise first discovered by P. Huber to be a
slave-making ant. This species is found in the southern parts of
England, and its habits have been attended to by Mr. F. Smith, of the
British Museum, to whom I am much indebted for information on this and
other subjects. Although fully trusting to the statements of Huber and
Mr. Smith, I tried to approach the subject in a sceptical frame of
mind, as any one may well be excused for doubting the truth of so
extraordinary and odious an instinct as that of making slaves. Hence I
will give the observations which I have myself made, in some little
detail. I opened fourteen nests of F. sanguinea, and found a few
slaves in all. Males and fertile females of the slave-species are
found only in their own proper communities, and have never been
observed in the nests of F. sanguinea. The slaves are black and not
above half the size of their red masters, so that the contrast in
their appearance is very great. When the nest is slightly disturbed,
the slaves occasionally come out, and like their masters are much
agitated and defend the nest: when the nest is much disturbed and the
larvae and pupae are exposed, the slaves work energetically with their
masters in carrying them away to a place of safety.
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