Polynesian., 1859-06-18
Ube 1Dolpnesian.
Anecdotes of Ants .

When an ant discovers store Of food, it at once
sets about communicating the good news tots tribe
But how! That 1t can communicate ideas by
means OF It's antennae mysteriOusly rubbed against
the antenne of its companions, every one knows :;
but "rubbing noses is after all a limited form of
publication, and cannot easily convey many de-
tails. How, then, is the insect Columbus to in
form his friends of the geographical position of this
Americal He knows the route himself, and he
can carry another ant to the spot. Seizng with
his mandibles the companion to whom he has Just
announced his discovery, and who twines himself
around his body, Columbus carries his friend to
thespot. The two then return and carry two more
The four return, and carry four. And thus, in a
geOmetrical progression, the emigration sWells till
at the end of the twentieth journey, million of
ants will be ready to deyOur the food. Huber one
winter, being desirous of watching their habits,
bethought him of attracting them to q particular
spot in the apparatus in which he kept them, and
which was made of glass. For this purpose he
warmed that part with q candle flame, knowing
how fond they were of warmth. A lew ants were
on the spot at the time, and sooner did they feel
the pleasant warmth than they became very ami
mated, brushing their heads and antenna with their
fore feet, and rapidly running about the warm spot
whenever they approached other ants they rub
ed noses with eager voubiitv, and immediately
separated. They seemed desirous of mounting to
the second story but sooner did they get beyond
the region OF warmth than they returned again.
At last they seemed to have made up their minds
Away they started Cor the second story. Huber
guessed that they had departed with the intention
OF communicating to their companions above the
pleasant news that warmth was to be had cheap
below. In a moment his guess was verified. Two
descended carrying two others. The newly arrived
having warmed themselves, assembled and brought
down others. This continued till at last the whole
hive was congregated in the warm place.
In the construction of their galleries. wonderful
as that is, most persons nothing but instinct.
Huber observed, however, that If ever an engineer
ing mistake cOmmitted-When one wall was
raised higher than an0ther-One Of the ants would
destroy the whole and rebuild it again correctly.
1t Is their conduct towards the aphides, however,
that most amusingly illustrates their intelligence.
The little green insects mostly wingless found on
the leaves and in the calyx of the rose, in great
numbers throughout the summer, secrete on the
surface OF their bodies sugary fluid, Of which the
ants are as fond as gourmands are of turtle. Not
only do the ants find out where the amphides ''mOSt
do congregate, and there wheedle them out Of
their sugar by the most hattering attentions "a
stupid animal would kill such food bearing stran-
ger, and thus kill the goose that laid the golden
eggs), but, although these attentions are success
ful, the ants, thoughtful creatures do not trust
alone to the chances of finding aphides they rear
them, as stakeholder rears niggers The ants
take the eggs of these aphideS into their own nests
rear them with maternal solieitude, and transport
them in all their migrations. Not only do they
them, but they have frequent battles with ri
val tribes their account the possession of these
eggs is the trophy of conquest.
One morning, during my residence in Trinidad,
observed an uncommon number of ehasseur ants
crawling about the floor Of the room. They did
not crawl upon my person, but | was now sur
rounded by them. Shortly after this the walls of
the room became covered by them. and next they
began to take possession of the tables and chairs
now thought it necessary to take refuge in an
adjoining room, separated only by few ascending
steps from the one we occupied; and this not
accomplished without great care and generalship;
for had we trodden upon one, we should have been
summarily punished. There were several ants on
the step of the stair, but they not near so
merous as in the room we had left !; but the upper
room presented singular spectacle for not only
were the floor and walls covered like the other
room, but the roof was covered also.
The open rafters of West India house at all
times afford shelter to a numerous tribe Of insects
more particularly the coekroach but now their
destruction was inevitable. The chasseur ants. as
if trained for BATTLE assembled in regular thick files
to the rafters, and threw down the cOckroaches to
their comrades on the floor, who as regularly
marched off with the dead bodies of cockrOaches,
dragging them away by their united efforts with
amazing rapidity. Either the cockroaehes were
stung to death on the rafters or else the fall killed
them. The ants never stopped to devour their
prey but conveyed 1t all to their storehouse. The
windWard windows of the rooms were glass, and u
battle now ensued between the ants and the Jack
spaniards on the panes of glass. The jackspaniard
may be called the wasp of the West Indies it is
twice as large as British wasp, and its sting is
in proportion more painful. 1t builds its nest in
trees and old houses, and sometimes in the rafters
of room. The jjackspaniards were not such easy
prey, for they used their wings, which not one
cockroach had attempted. Two jackspaniards,
hotly pursued on the window, aighted on the dress
of one of my children. In an almost inconcevable
short time, party of ants crawled upon her frock
surrounded and covered the two .nckspaniards, and
crawled again to the floor, dragging off their prey
and doing the child no harm. From this room |
went into an adjoining bed-chamber and dressing
room, and found them equally in possession of the
chasseHrs. | opened large military chest of lin
ems, which had been much infested, for l was de-
termined to take every advantage of such able
hunters l found the ants already inside ] sup
pose that they must have got in at some opening
at the hinges. pulled out the linens on the floor,
and with them hundreds of cockroaches, not one of
which escaped.
We now left the house, and went to the cham
ber, built at little distance but these also were
in the same state. next proceeded to open store
room at the other end Of the house, for place of
retreat; but to get the key had to return to the
under room where the battle was now more hot
than ever the ants had commenced an attack up
on the rats and MICE and strange it may appear,
they were no match for their apparently insignif-
can't foes They surrounded them, as they had the
insect tribe, covered them over, and dragged them
of, with celebrity and union of strength that no
Dne who has not watched such scene can compre-
hend did not see one mouse or rat escape, and
am sure saw a score carried off in a very short
period. think it was about ten O'Clock when
rst observed the ants and about twelve the battle
was formidable soon after one o'clock the great
strife commenced with the rats and MICE and about
thrae the houses were cleared. In quarter of an
lodk more the ants began to decamp, and soon not
1ne was to be seen within doors.-Erch.