The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-12-06
ARE ANTS CIVILIZED.

The October number of the Quar-
terly Journal Of Science contains an
article on ''Our siX-fOotee Rivals,
the ants, which may we'll cause us to
believe that we are not the only IA
tional and civilized beings on this
globe.
Let us suppose that we were sud-
denly informed, OH good authority,
that there existed race Of beings
who lived in domed habitations, ag
gregated together so as to form vast
and populous bites, that they eXercis-
ed jurisdiction over the adjoining
territory. laid out regular roads. exc
cuted tunnels underneath the beds OF
river stationed guards at the entrance
of their towns, carefully removed any
offensive matter, maintained rural
police. organized extensive hunting
expeditions. 1T times even Waged wax
upon neighboring communities. took
prisoners and reduced them to Il state
of slavery; that they not merely stor-
ed provisions with due care. but that
they kept cattle and even cultivated
the soil and gathered in the harvest.
We should unquestiOnably regard
these creatures as human beings who
had made no small progress in civil
zation, and should lasbribe their ac-
tiOns to reason.
Among the hymenOptera the lead is
undoubtedly taken by the ants. which,
like man, have Il brain much more
highly developed than that Of the
neighboring inferior groups. Per-
| A. ole nf "a
eide family is the agricultural ant of
western Texas. This species is, save
man, the only creature which does not
depend for it's sustenance on the prod
ucts of the chase or the spontaneous
fruits Of the earth. A colony of these
ants will clear tract ofground, some
four feet in width, around their
city, and remove all plants, stone, and
rubbish. A species of minute grain,
resembling rice, is sOwn therein and
the field is carefully tended, kept free
from weeds, and guarded against ma
|rauding insects. When mature, the
crop is reaped and the seeds dried and
carried into the nest. If this is done
near a larger city the latter regard it
as an intrusion. and a fierce warfare
|truction Of one or the other side. The
queens are treated with great atten-
ton and installed in royal apartments.
The ant government is communis
tic. In formicary there is no trace
of private property; the territory the
buildings, the stores, the booty, exists
equally for the benefit Of all. The
family among them scarcely exists.
Rarely is the union of the male and
female extended beyond the actual
intercourse all provision for the fn
ture young devolving upon the latter
alone, the former being speedily kill.
ed, as he is no longer Of any use. The
females are the larger, Estronger. anc
more long lived. The workers ano
fighters are sexless; to them belongs
the real government of the ant-hill
and they provide for it's enlargement
we'll being. and defence.
! Ants are sometimes very stupid II
, regard to small things. but in many
! instances they display remarkable sa
lgacity. Mr.. Belt. in his :Naturalists
+ lin Nicaragua" tells of Il column OF
+ ants who were crossings WATERFOWL 50
Ibv a small branch not thicker than ;
goose quill. They widened this natur
: al bridge to three times it's width b,
: number of ants clinging to it and t
each other on each side, over WhiN
! the column passed flour deep, thus et
! fecting a great saving OF time
! Again the eciton iegionis, when attack
ing the hill of another species. dig
S mines and passes the pellets Of eartl
/, from ant to ant until placed Mt a stuff
/ cient distance outside to prevent
J. rolling back into the hole. Their Ell
i rors and stupidity are not more COZ
: spcuous. however. than among til
+ human beings.
e These tiny creatures have a languag
4 by which they can impart to each otf
f or information Of a very definite char
z acter. and not merely general signal:
: such as those Of alarm. 1t has bee
0 found that ants fetched by a messe1
l. ger seem, when they arrive at tn
d spot. to have some knowledge Of tn
g task which is awaiting them. Thei
t principal organs Of speech are doub
y less the autennH: with these, whe
e seeking to communicate intelligence
d they touch each other in a variety {
: ways. There is a possibility that the
t may have language of odors, for til
g various scents given off by them al
e easily perceptible. Under the inf
ence of anger it becomes intense ]
C battles how. save by scent, can the
It distinguish friend from foel After
; lapse Of several months a former con
n panion will be received kindly into tn
= nest, but stranger is killed.
8 More wonderful than their INTEL
/ gence is their organization. II sepa
e ate they would be helpless, an
!. probably soon become extinct. NJ
n Belt observed marching column
l. ecitons in the primeval forests OF Nj
Il larapua A dense body of ants. fOL