STRANGE FUNERAL PROCESSION.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 266, 13 November 1880, Page 4

STRANGE FUNERAL PROCESSION.

One day a little boy of mine, about four years old, being tired of play, threw himself down on a grassy mound to rest. Shortly after I was startled by a sudden Bcream. My instant thought was that some serpent had stung him. I flew in horror to the child, but was at once reassured on seeing him covered with soldier ants, on whose nest he had laid himself down. Numbers of the ants were still clinging to him with their forceps, and continued to sting the boy. My maid at once assisted me in killing them. At length about 20 wero thrown on the ground dead. We then carried the boy indoors. In ftbout half-an-hour afterwards I returned £o tho name spot, when 1 saw a lar^e number of ants surrounding tho dead ones. I determined to watch their proceedings closely. I followed four or five that started from the rest towards a hillock a short distance off, in which was an ant's nest. This they entered, and in about five minntes they re-appeared, followed by others. All fell into rank, walking regularly and slowly two by two, until they arrived at the spot where lay the dead bodies of the soldier ants. In a few minutes two of the ants advanced and took up the dead body of one of their comrades, then two others, and so on until all were ready to march. First walked two ants bearing a body, then two without a burden ; then two bodies with another dead ant, and so on until the line was extended to about 40 pairs, and the procession moved slowly onwards, followed by an irregular body of about 200 ants. Occasionally the two laden ants stopped and laying down the dead ant it was taken np by the two behind who were unburdened, and thus, by occasionally relieving each other, they arrived at a sandy spot near the sea. The body of ants now commenced digging with their jaws holes in the ground, into each of which a dead ant was laid, where they now labored on till they had filled up the ants' graves. _ This did not quite finish this remarkable circumstance, for some six or seven of the ants had attempted to run off without performing their share of the task of digging ; these wore caught and brought back, when they were attacked by a body of pnts and killed upon the spot. A single grave was quickly dug, and they were all dropped into it. — Correspondent, Home journal.