The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-03-09
The Wisdom OrAnts.

When Solomon recommended
man to go to the ant to learn wis
dow he meant more than people
have understood. 1t meant that
the ant is really a very wise and
skillful as well as an industrious
little beast, and has various
habits kin to those Of humanity.
NJ. D. Conway in his last letter
from London TO the Cincinnati
Commercial, says:
Sir John Lubbock has been
known to be devoting his atten-
tion to ants for the last three years.
He has clever assistants in his
little daughter and her governess,
who watch the proceedings in the
ant-room, during the day, and re-
port progress, If he has been
absent. Living on a farm adjoin-
ing that of Charles Darwin, he
has the benefit of consultation
with that great man. Sir Johns
story last night, was most extraor-
binary. He declared that, though
the ape ranks next to man in form,
the ant ranks next to him in intel
lect, and if the ants should ever
be able to make up by numbers
for their deficiency of size, they
might be able to cope with man
on no unequal terms. There are
700 known species of ants, of
which there are 80 in this country,
and Sir John has based his re-
searches on 90 species, which are
now sharers of his hospitlity.
For a liberal and moral man, Sir
John does not seem to observe
rigid principles with these tiny
creatures he sets some as slaves
to others, and on one occasion
gave an ant-companY Of 80 SO
much to drink that they were re
duced to hopeless intoxicatIoH.
On this last occasion the sober
ants pitched five of the inebriates
into the water, and took % into
the nest to recover. But of q
similar party of ''strangers"G. e.,
not belonging to their nest) the
sober ants pitched 25 into the
water, took five into the nest, but
presently brought four of them
and pitched them into the water,
too. The ants know their COM
rades after long separation. Sir
John separated one from his nest,
for a year, then brought him back,
and with him q stranger" of the
same species, marking them with
paint for recognition. The ants
treated the stranger nefariously
but welcomed their long-lost
brother, and wiped the paint of
him. There Is a little yellow ant
in England which regularly raises
poultry; it stores up through win
ter the eggs Of aphides which,
being Matched in spring, give them
good supply of provisions. The
differentiation of labor among
them is remarkable, some being
developed into soldiers, others Of
the same nest as laborers,. and
others as commissarat agents
Sir John found that two particular
ants were invaribly sent out to
bring in food placed at the door
and when these were removed by
him two others were appointed,
who came just as invariably, an6
and so on, so often as the special
officials were removed. The ants
keep q more various stock of ami
mails for their provisions thar
Englishmen do; and there are two
tiny creatures-an aphis and 6
beetle-always found in theiI
nests, but never eaten or used, ap-
parently their cat and dog. Slav.
cry prevails, and there is no anti
slavery society. But Sir John re
marked the evil effects of the
system. The most determined
Shareholder is called "Polyergus,'
q queer misnomer, since the bloat.
ed creature doesn't work at all
By employing slaves (Which arr
very black this big red ant has
lost all cleverness, all strength
and even his mandibles; he is,
perhaps, the only animal in nature
that cannot even feed himself, but
will die amid plenty unless Sir
John sends in slaves, every day,
TO cram the food down his throat
1t is the great middle-class who
hold no slaves who develop
the marvellous intelligence and
enterprise displayed by ants
After the lecture, 1 asked Sir John
if he had heard of the Texan
species, SAID to SOW and reap; he
said he had, and could well be-
lieve the report, which, however,
American observers should investi
gate.