, 1874-11-21
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.
LEAF.cUTT1N0 ANTS.

LrAr.curT1No ANTS.
B1r. Datce, "tho Naturalist on tho Rlvor Anna
zou," wlile developing the history OF Tho fauna
Of South America, mndo Homo interesting 1lHcov.
oriea coucoruiug tho habits OF tho Bauba anta
{Oecolon,u cephato!cs). Tie immonso numbers
md The tirctosB Industry OF theae lltto oroatu'os
elevate them to groat Importance among tho
animals of Brazil. Tnor n,oat striking propcn-
eity Ia to defoliato trees, aud this uahos them a
te,rlb|o ecor,rge to agriculture. In soue regions
whero tIoy aro unusually populous. 1t Ia impoa-
etblo to cultivate certain troes aud vegetables. as
tho cof1oe-plant+ nnd orange. and lon,on. No
barriers opposo shoir progress. anu they will
strip tree Of Its fongo In q single night Ihoy
cut tho loaves In circular rtocoa about tho fize OF
Aixoeuoe.-our uoItlcBt inhAbitant" wilt remcm.
bcr tho cosu,-whch tho3 transport in q vertical
position, tho lower edge aoourod In tho 1nandi"
Wien ongagod 10 tho work Of cutting loavoa.
tho nutB mount o troo In multituaea. Eaoa In.
dlyiduaI takes up Ills stand on tho Rurfaco OF
1eaf, nnd cata, with tta aarp, acisaor. like java,
circular a. ten nr taGSa to edSo S
piece. Sometimes tho pieces aso dronpe4 to tho
ground In littlo heaps, which ore carried awayby
another relay Of workers but generally cach
cutter marchos OF with the piooe it has Boveroa.
IA tho procession 1t casssess snoyeB along uui-
form rath to tho COLONY, 1t las tho appearance
Of irain Of animntod loayos on Il march.
The track over which tic aMts trayol with their
burden Lcconos in short time as smooth and
bnre ns II a cnrt-whcnl had plsBod oyor tho
ground. Az tho ants troop up to tilclr domioIlo
each one deposlta It's burden on tho hiiloalt,
anil another takes 1t to itH place Of dual Do
poait. .
is to thetch thu domou which oovor tic entl an.ca
to tholr subtc1rnnoun dwellings,, thereby pro"
tectIng tho broouB III tho nsstH boucath from tho
rain. There arc several apocies of tho gerna
Occoloma, nIl pccni1r to Tropical America. and
ali leaf-cuttera, building noatB Or formicaf1ea OF
unormous extent. The outworks Which protect
the underground galleries do not rso hbovo 3
| foot In height; but aon1e OF thom cover space
| of 40 yards iu circumference. These mounds nyo
| composed of worry minute granulea Of unlorsoil,
brought ar from aconsl1ornoie oo2tll, aud formed
| INTO numerous ridges mud turrots. The outrauces
to tho galleries nro manifold, nnd nil convorgo,
at tho depth OF about feet into q brontl,
smooth gallery, or mine, tevcrn incuos In diamo-
| ter and descending from . to feet.
The Oec1otlomas aro kuown to carry their
mines sonact1n,es to q wonderful length. They
will tunnel under ditch. rlvor, or patch Of
AccorAipg TO tile Roy. Hnniiet Clark, ono s7ecies
| e1cayateA tunnel u,Itar tho Riyor parsllvba ut
place w|,cro the bed was rs broad as the Tlansos
| at London Bridge. Near Para. the Shnba nnss
ouco piercel tie emb1ukment Of Il largo ieHor-
vo,r, canbng The escape Of tho ent,ro body Of
| wnter it contuinoa. Dr.. Llncncnm, who hna OBJ
| served ppcc.os which abountlB In Texas, Btntea
| that they often cary tltrlr aubtrrranenn roaab
for sovelal hundred Yards. when i obssiuctons ho
in their patti Oh the surface. ''On one occasion,
to secure access to gcntlemans garden. wiioro
they we're cutting tho vegatab!eR 10 pieces. they
tunnocd benonth crock, which waa Mt that
placo Is or 20 feet deep. and from bank to bank
Nj. Bates found tho sanba mt troublesome,
not only from its custom Of destroying vogota
tion, but from its habit uf pnndcrlItg the inhab.
! ltauts Of t1eir provisions. While ho was resid-
Ing OH tho Tapa5os River, he was aroused ono
| nlgltt by Lis servant, who announced 1hae tho
rats we're deyouring lis stock OF fsrsuha, which
articlo changed ii the tiu!o to 10 exceedingly
scarce aul expensive. On going to the store
room, 1t waa fouud tha! tho robbcrs wcro 6a'iba
ants Instead OF rats. a broad column, COM
posed OF thouannds, was steadily passing back
and forth boswccn tho door nnd tue baa;sta Of
furnha. Those passing outwards were ladou
with tho grains, sometimes larger snan INC 'nal-
anita uctually. staggered under tho load. Which
completely bid them. The baskeA conlainin.
the :atiuha, standing OIL high tables. vere Gov
e,ed with tho as'scc1s: many VI which were onas M
cutting tue leavca which served as lining. TEiA
operation produced tho yta:lin9 noise whicl, Rtst
! disturbed Mr.. Datos' lou onold.
Al, effort was made to put stop to tho depre-
dations OF the ins.cts by x,iling the,n but fresh
tho attomrt was found .uaayaing. The next
night, trains Of gunpowder were laid nlong tnbll
Inc uf tanrcl. and aIter tioso had noeu fired
| several times ovor, tho ants seemed to be inttmi
| dated md ceas.a their invAsfona 4 gentleman
! in Para tried evnrv m.a1,s he conld sli,nk Of to
| cxternnato tho pests which wero desoll!ing Ills
galdons. FlnallY hc made ilres over tho ell
.rauc3g to telr iorsn1clrles, ana blow tha tumGt
OF SULPHUR down into the eal"slcs with bel
lows. Tho smoke Issued thrnnSh outscts Dinok,
| yards dirta.lt irop, tho uoint OF It's enttauca
Int ri w!,ethar It extesmlaated Tie inoabitauts i
| not ralltea.
TIE nAwYoo.
Among the ipfiaite variety Of plants w,tl
which Nature has ctolhod the earth the bau,boe
IL ono Of the most useful to uncivllizod man
Tho number Of valuable purposes which 1t sotve'
can scarcely bs enumerated. aud 10 Utmost with
out limit. It is native OF tropical and Sub
tropical countries in both homispboiea, ans
aouris!,os in vnriod sails and situations Al
ll,ousl, different speeios nttaln tho heisls q
lofty troes, aud might properly bo regarded ri
such. tho ba.nboos in roality ara mera!r gtasse
Of gigantic stature Taore aro aat1 to he q:
many as 170 dlstino: species, ranging In alz
from switch to tree with trnuli 18 inches I,
liamator. AL tha upacios have sublerranoas
root-stooh, from tho jo.uts OF which 10 to 10
stems shoot up into tho alr.
Tha atems arc hollow and iointea, as In all tht
grasses, and riso straight an1 erect to their fs
height, without entiing out Il branch. at shci
, summit they emit berries Of horizontal boughs
which. inlo,laciug form d aousc thcket. I'll
! stems of soma species aro armed with spines
aud, growing thicaly SGT, form nn almost lmpoil
ctl4ble barrett. The Bu,nlier species ore otto
planted for hedges. THO yonug shoots Of ccs
taiu kinds, as the B. 1alda, are eaten like aapai
aGus or picked iu viMoger. Euronoaha, as vel
Gs nativos, arc very fond Of thcss art1cles Q
fooa. The now ahuota grow with amazing rssplda
ity. adding several foot to their height in slsgl
! day. Thelr development can bo plalnly noe
Though y microscope. Tho bamboo reaches tn
age OF fifty ycnra boforo 1t blossoms. When !
has borne seed 1t tce, as do The othor era"sos
; The seedR Of bou.o Of tao species Gro used 4
| rico and for making u Kind Of boer. =. -
The lolteAt of Tho bnlnbo0s is the Gan1nlo
! which sometimes rises to tho height Of 100 feel
With stem Of only 18 INCHES i'll diameter ns th
! basc, tho hol!os wall Of which III but inch |
thickness. Tue nuxt largcs: species is tho lH;
which usually touches height OF lrom Go TO :
feet. Tho third largest pravaiIs throughout til
| f.t, ri ,lr