The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-06-30
Curious Works Of Ants.

AT the recent session of the Massa-
chusetts State Board of Agriculture,
Professor E. S. Morse gave the follow
ing curious particulars about ants: The
ant belongs to family of insects such
as wasps, bees, hornets, but is the SUI
perior of them all, as are the elephant,
the horse and the dog in other lines of
animal life. Ants are constructed with
the ''back'' bone in front and the heart
and other internal organs on the oppo-
site side are put together upside down
as we might think. Their mouth is for
biting and swallowing food only, not
for breathing. Their bite is so deter
mined and lasting that they are used in
some countries for confning the edges
OF wounds and cuts. Ants heads are
presented to the cut surface, which they
grasp with the nippers, when their
bodies are cut off, leaving a whole row
of them to hold the flesh They are
cheaper than sticking plaster in some
countries. af
AS anillstration of their ingenuity and
intelligence,it was stated that they some
times excavate tunnels under rivers OF
considerable depth and width, and use
the tunnels for Transporting supplies.
They dig wells twenty feet deep and a
foot in diameter for drinking water.
The harvesting ants plant seeds on
farms, which they cultivate with great
skill and neatness, keeping every weed
down and harvesting the grain, curing
and storing it safely in weatherproof
cavities in the soil. They also organ
ize into divisions with commanders,
each individual doing certain kind of
work. Some ants are smart enough for
engineers, while others only know
enough to do as they are told. They
can count and make correct estimates
OF the magnitude of their undertaking,
as proved by observers ga =
Eight chrysolides (often called the
eggs of ants,) were. placed in a path
where ants travel. A single individual
found them and undertook to remove
them to their home. Several were car
ried by the single ant patiently enough
but when twenty chrysolides were
placed in the heap, another ant was
found engaged in the work The pile
was increased at intervals till eighty
ants engaged in the undertaking, show
ing that workers were detailed accord
ing to the demands of the cases. Ants
battles sometimes last many days, in
one case seven weeks, the victors final
ly taking the stores and removing them
to their own houses. Their wars are
quite as justifiable as those of men,
when the object-pillage- the same.
They have the power, too, OF know
ing members of their own commune
ties even after six months absence.
Strangers are always driven off or killed.
They are very helpful to each other,
and show sympathy in case of accident
or sickness. Some families of ants
build arched roads covered by an arch
of clay or mortar for protection against
enemies and show great skill in the
work, which is under the supervision of
trained engineers, who order rebuild
ing if the work is not perfect Some
kinds Of ants keep cows, build cow
yards and milk their cows regularly,
and don't throw milking stools at them
either to make them "glve down." but
stroke and pat their backs very tender
ly. OF course these. cows are the plant
aphides SO familiar to all farmers and
gardeners. t$es -