The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-12-19
ANTS AND BEES.

1 uoWo EnUomofO81ca1 Now Aoous Aoe@.
Not content with having Destroyed some
time-honored traditional beliefs on the
subject of bees. that sturdy ioonoclast, Sir
John Lubbock, has now attacked the re-
reputation of an insect which has almost
as frequently Aeen held up to the respect
and imitation of mankind-;he ant-and
| from all that would appear. a pretty
plausible case has been made out
The well known and somewhat impress
siye exhortation. go to the ant thou
| slusyard." will in future have 10 be alter
ed INTO Go TO the right kind Of ant at
least, ifthe admonition is TO have any NOR
al value: for. according 70 SIR John it
seems tina: the different species Of ants
and there are about seven hundred Of these
species altogether-haves tron gly contrast
ed moral characteristics; that Is. some are
distinguished by bravery, some by cow
arllice, some are strkingly idle.
This last named fact Is the most damag-
ing the reputation of the insect; new
ertheless, the fact has been clearly ascer-
tanned that, TO such an extent Is idleness
carried. in one Of the species, that they
are entirely dependent ON their slaves-too
law, in fact. to feed themselves or clean
themselves, so that it was actually found
necessary. As a means of keeping them
alive. TO put a few slaves for an hour or
two every day into the case in which they
were confined. in order that their domcs-
tic arrangements might be duly attended
-. Unlike bees. ants have two or three
outxns in nest; there are also three dis
tinct classes. the imperfect mates. or
workers, the males and the perfect females.
Very little !. known of their younger days.
as their childhood is spent in the dark.
Two ants working at time are apparent
Iy sufficient 10 supply a nest OF three or
four hundred with f6sd. When If was mo-
ticed by Sir John that .wo were working
for whole nest. be thought they might
be individually remarkably i>pd Of work.
so he removed them: two Others, however,
Immediately took their places IN foraging,
and, IS soon a. these two were aiss re-
moved, two Others took their place.
The intelligence Of ants was likewise
tested by him, the conclusion arrived al
being that they are very stupid In regard
10 locality; thus. on putting store OF food
10 b. reached by passing over little card
board bridges. It was found that slightly
shifting bridge baffied them; they never
tried 10 push the bridge or even 10 make
use of supply Of fine mould put ready
t,,r them TO help them fill the gap; IN
some cases he arranged a route and then
altered the bridge. 30 that slight jump OF
about ore-third OF an inch was made ne
cessar-. bi;. they preferred going circuit
of Is feel rather than take the small jump.
Some of the lsost interesting exper-
ments in this case wee IN relation To the
manner in which ants Recognize one
another. The idea that tney Will take
care of distressed comrade il. Il sppears,
not horne out. He tried just covering an
ant with mould. where many were rass-
ing and repassing. but not one took any
notice; some were then put under the IN
fiuence of chloroform. and these were car
ried away, regarded perhaps rs dead by
their companions. Alcohol was then tired
in the place Of chloroiorm. thirty intoxi-
Gated friends and thirty intoxicated stran-
gers being put together near nest; the
ants were at first puzzled at the spectacle.
nevertheless twenty Of the friends were
taken into the nest. i've were thrown IN
TO the water. and the others neglected
while of the thirty strangers twcnty-iour
were thrown into the water, and SIX were
carried into the nest, but a mistake being
at once found ont with regard 10 four OF
them. these were brought out and thrown
into water-an act which, as Sir John re-
marks. indicates ON the part OF the man
ayers an aptitude Of recognition under the
circumstances which it is difficult to ac-
count for.
The honey ant Of Mexico has recently
become an object Of much interest 10 nat
uralists and others: and TO NJ. Wesmall.
in the bulletin of the ROYAL academy at
Brussels. may be said 10 he due the first
account Of this singular insect. The de-
tail. of It's habits. and Of the use Of the
honey II secretev. may indeed be ciassed
among the novelties Of the chronological
world
The native name of this honey ant Is
busIleras, and IT lives IN underground
nests. which are not distinguishable from
without. In their early stage none Of
these insects present any unusual disten-
ton of the BODY. but some individuals he
gin 10 show a dis,ended abdomen, which
after time becomes swollen into a com
paratively immense sphere. produced by
the distention Of the membrane connect
| ing the abdominal segments. this sphere
| or sack being fille2 with .ort OF honey.
Another class Of individuals in the com
munity. raised from the same brood OF
eggs. manifest no tendency Of this sort.
| When the sacks OF these honey producers
are full they are something like a trans
parent bubble Of yellowish color. They
are unable. IN consequence Of their great
| burden. TO leave their nests, and are ncce--
sarily almost Inactive. remaining liked or
Suspended to the hoors OF the galleries Of
their n--.., celebrating this honey. which
they subsequently, ..-cbarge into cells sim
! ,iaE tn those Of hive. II Is siso s,s--r
that t,ra women and children make II a
! pi actioe b tii:thS.n up and ENJOY The hon
/ ey. and that IL j. by - L.eaas unusual for
/ these insects 10 be served al t--A.s, t.e DIS
tended ahdomens beng eaten as a delicai'.
sveetmsat.
I, appears that the neutsr insect. with
, out the di.,ended abdomen. j. the active
worker in these hon~y-ant es'sblIshments.
I In. honey maker, b-,Dg unable 10 move
/ and therefore require - be fed. 1ho~e
/ who have watched the operation state that
/ the worker, carry home leaves 81 different
plants. upon which the other fseds. bat
/ the kind Of plants thu, u.ed are not known.
| II i. the opiniSn Of some observers that
toe ant. 10 no. deposit the horny in cells.
/ but that thew keep the fiuid in their t.plie.
and the worker. iced from them. and that
when the honey IN Ne SAX IL an ant j,
exhausted the insect -oon dies.
In reference 20 the nae. made Of thu.
honey IN :.ase PORTION. a New Mer'eo
whore the.e cur1oaS .,i.e Creatures are
! found. IT seem. that the native rf7---s> :
Te-- r,---.-.. a4..--..L nm It-ms5e m pro
4 portions II thrss or four drsehms ~ the
honey 70 about III ounoes 81 rsisr. u
I has no commercial value, !, no. brought b.
market. bu, simply made for their o~n
uss. Thy rssort 20 this dunk among
thern-elge. in toe uo1ntaIns. m cars 81
[ fever phsre medical attendance eAnnot D.
sb,sain.1: the bon~y e slso a.ed ty tbsrn
I IN it. natural condition a cure for sys
diseass. esEecizliy for oz;zrar.