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 s'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 Il race Of beings
who lived in domed habitatons, 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 war
upon neighboring communities. took
prisoners and reduced them to a state
of slavery: that they not merely slor-
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
cation. and should Iasbribe their ac-
ItiOnS to reason.
Among the hymenoptera the lead is
undoubtedly taken by the ants. which,
like man, have brain much more
highly developed than that OF the
neighboring inferior groups. Per-
haps the most elevated of the formi-
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 of ground. 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
results, which ends i'll the total des-
tructiOn of one or the other side. The
! queens are treated with great atten.
ton and installed in royalapartments
The ant government is communis
tic. In 4 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 FIJI
, lture 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, stronger. ano
G more long lived. The workers an'
I fighters are sexless; to them belongs
! the real government of the ant-hill
: and they provide for its enlargement
G we'll being. and defence.
s Ants are sometimes very stupid II
G regard to small things. but i'll many
a instances they display remarkable sa
) gacity. Mr.. Belt. in his "Naturalists
r in Nicaragua. tells of a column O.
t ants who were crossings watercOuls 81
It hv a small branch not thicker than
:. goose quill. They widened this natur
Y al bridge to three times its width b.
: number of ants clinging to it and t.
t each other on each side. over whiSl
q the column passed -four deep, thus ct
h fecting a great saving Of time
Il Again the .citon leoionis, when attack
ing the hill Of another species. dig
IS mines and passes the pellets Of cart
\, from ant to ant until placed mt a stuff
d cient distance outside TO prevent
3. rolling back into the hole. Their el
A. rors and stupidity are not more COZ
t. spcuous, however. than among til
n human beings.
,e These tiny creatures have a languag
ii by which they can impart to each Otl
If er information Of very definite cha
u acter. and not merely general signal
K such as those of alarm. 1t has bee
20 found that ants fetched by a messel
n ger seem, when they arrive at til
id spot. to have some knowledge Of til
lg task which is awaiting them. The
1T principal organs Of speech are doub
ly less the autenna: with these. whe
le seeking to communicate intelligence
i'd they touch each other in a variety
y ways. There is possibility that thu
at may have a language of odors, for tt
lie various scents given off by them al
he easily perceptible. Under the inf
ence of anger it becomes intense. ]
ic battles how, save by scent, can the
at distinguish friend from foe. After
O lapse Of several months former con
IN panion will be received kindly into tt
e. nest, but stranger is killed.
s. More wonderful than their INTEL
Il gence is their organization. If sepa
ne ate they would be helpless, Ar
q. probably soon become extinct. NJ
On Belt observed a marching column
n ecitons in the primeval forests of Nj