Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-05-01
Some CurlOslties of Instinct.

A WRITER in Hardutcke's Science Cos
sap makes some very curious and interest
ing statements with regard TO the doings
of a colony of ants which he has kent
confined for some years in formicary.
AT one time, he says, the glass sides of
my tormicary got so obscured with moss
and rubbish that the view into the interior
was nearly shut out, so l removed them
win the purpose Of cleaning them, leav-
ing the block OF earth standing sufficiently
safe. On replacing the glass, since MANY
ants were running over the perpendicular
mound of earth in some excitement, una
voidably two or thee Of them got pressed
into the earth in places where there were
no burrows, and were fixed between the
glass and the mold, quite unable to
move at all. Not long afterward | was
astonlsned to see several ants with much
eagerness running a burrow straight to-
ward the very point where one of these
ants was incarceratei. They worked
very hard, and after time they excavated
until they reached the imprisoned ant.
upon which they pulled away and loos
ened the soil around it until they had
made sufficient room for it to wriggle
out. Having watched the completion
of this wonderful sight l looked to see
what was the fate of the other i'm
prisoned ants. found that there were
two other parties of ants eagerly
digging out two more of their comrades.
They accomplished their object in due
time, in one case running their separate
galleries from three directions, all meet
ing at the precise spot where their lost
companion was. A fourth ant was light,
pressed against the glass close to the very
bottom of The case, and in a very unfre-
quented part of the hive at some distance
from any burrOw, where | expected that
he must remain; but the next morning I
found a fresh and narrow path leading
straight to where he had been, and the ant
gone. When the first one of these had
been liberated it naturally seemed weak
and stiff after the compression it had been
subjected to, and crawled away in feeble
manner; but 1t was presently met by
companion and then remained motion
less, whilst the other began at the head,
strokiDg it all over, round and round,
and elaborately pursuing the same course
with the thorax and abdomen, feeling
down each leg. 1t looked exactly like a
surgeon examining a patient u see the
extent of the injuries, and no doubt its
intention in doing it must have been
something OF the same nature. Soon af-
terward another ant came up and went
through precisely similar process. FL
nally the injured ant slowly disappeared
out of sight into the fDrmicary, surround
ed by several of it, companions.
How these ants knew that any of their
comrades were incarcerated at all, and
how that even then they knew precisely
In what direction they should burrow, is
one or those mysteries which battle all
conjecture. Ii shows, however, that they
must possess some sense developed to a
pitch OF great intensity, and, though the
theory that insects possess a subtle sense
unknown to us seems scarcely warrant
able, yet it is hard to see which of our five
senses, however much developed would
in this case have helped to the discovery
of the plight of their companions. If
1t is the sense of hearing which they have
so acutely, it must be modified to their
special requirements, for they appeared
quite oblivious to any sounds, however
loud, which | have made for experiment
close to the nest
AT one time my ants collected all the
rubbish which they generally threw into
the water, as well as a considerable
quantity of earth, and piled il together
just at the very edge of the platform over.
hanging the water. They kept steadily
adding to it until it hung halt way across
the moat being kept together by the
moisture sucked up from the water be-
low. 1t really seemed as if they planned
bridging over the mOat itself but if such
was the case, their design was frustrated
by the bridge giving away before it
reached the other side. | once cleared il
all away, but they forthwith set to work
10 construct IL again as before.