Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-07-08
SLAYE.MAKING ANTS.

OF our own country perform quite rs re-
markable exploits. We have in the
Northern States two species of slave
making, two leaf-cutting and several
carpenter ants. with very interesting
/ habits, and also harvesting ants, that
collect and store seeds. The slave-mak-
ing ants (FOr,nicd sd1guinea) not only
make war upon neighboring tribes and
( capture the young, which they rear as
: slaves, but they do many other things
( quite rs wonderful, which seem to indi-
cate that they have language and q
I system of government or laws regulat-
ing the community.
: My observations were made on the
} slave making ants in a grove which sur
I rounds the house, where large colony
have had their formicary for several
years past. After living in one place for
q number of years, they concluded to
change their home-not swarming like
bees, leaving part of the colony in the
old quarters, but the whole community
moving and taking with them their en-
Z tire effects. Notwithstanding the i'm
mense number of slaves and workers
engaged in the enterprise, the building
o of the new home proved to be slow
and laborious proceeding. On the 4th
of June observed u line of ants COM
ing from the home of the makers,
which l followed twenty feet to q spot
where the new homo was already in
| progress. The place chosen was little
Ahillock about four feet in diameter, but
the surrounding ground was lower than
the old home.
From all appearances, they had not
been at work more than a day or two,
as comparatively little earth was thrown
out. The black captives (For7nica tus-
cay were excavating at eleven different
points, and the red masters were walk
ing slowly from one group of slaves to
another, as if inspecting their work; and
4 now several returned home and disap-
speared, but soon emerged with new re-
,cruits of blacks, which fell into line and
a1iiarched with them to the new quarters,
#where they joined their fellows in the
work Of ofeXcavation. The slaves did not
return home, but kept steadily atwork.
while the masters were constantly go.
ing back and forth. The colony had
q also another species of slave-the
brown ant (F'Orn,ica schaatttssiD, which
! still remained at home, bringing in
food for the community and nursing
the young. Not one of these slaves, a.
far as could see, was engaged at the
new home.
oos On the 18th of June, eight days aftel
= j first observed the move, the building
had progressed sufficiently to admit the
young into the newly-consJructed cham
bers. The busy porters formed an un.
broken line from the old to the new
home,4 each carrying large chrysalis,
which contained winged individual
Where chrysalids were larger and heav.
ier than the porters who bore them,
they contained the future queens and
males, which in due time would swarm
and leave the colony. The masters "a
well as the slaves were engaged in the
transportation. A large force of blacks
was also still engaged in mining.
%On the following day very few chrys
Aids were carried, but the mining
seemed to be going on with redoubleI
force. Some of the masters had now
Ftaken hold, and were working as vigor
ously as the slaves. The work contin
ued with inabated ardor for four or five
days, up to the 18th, when the porter.
,aagain formed in line-both masters ant
hslaves-and brought the heavy burdens
which they lef1 in the new home ano
returned for more. A large force o
slaves was still mining, but several o
the entrances where they had beer
forming galleries were now closed
only five being open. A large numbe
of blacks were still bringing
earth from four of the openings
while the fifth was wholly occupied
by the porters with their burdens. Be
sides the chrysalids and Larvae, many o.
the slaves brought bit, OF wood, ant
pebbles, and wild-cherry pits, whicl
they had previously piled about the ole
home. The most difficult things to mov'
seemed to have the most value. Bits o
coal and pebbles, which had cost then
great effort to get in place at the ole
home, must now be carried twenty feet
through grass to the new home. Some
times it required five or six slaves t,
carry the valued article, and when the,
arrived with it they laid it near one 0
the entrances. or piled 1t ON to tn,
material closing one of the former open
ings.
The construction of the new hom,
and removing continuedup to the 2lst
taking seventeen days to accomplish
the great undertaking. The old hom
was now entirely deserted. All inter
ests were centered in the new Tn
blacks still continued the mining a
three of the openings, the other tw'
having been closed. Some observers ar
Inclined to believe that the black captive
do not conform to the habits of thei
N masters, but do precisely as they woul
in q colony by themselves, The mos
casual observer cannot fail to perceiy
the great difference in the outward ap
pearance of the two formicaries.
formicary of free blacks is spread owe
"a large surface of ground and has man
openings, while that of the slave maker
z to all outward appearance, is compac
n and has but one main entrance. Th
slaves are compelled by their masters
close the entrance as soon as the ga
Hiieries and chambers are finished. In
colony-of blacks left to themselves tn
numerous galleries are all open.
careful observer will see many othe
.athings TO convince him that the slave
{ are under subsection.
ar In order TO have view of the nun
. sery, ! had a frame made of window
sash, twelve by sixteen inches. Th
pieces were obtained at sash factor
and joined together by the obliging al
tisan. and pane of glass fitted in th
sash, leaving it about two inches
depth Ilaid this frame over the fol
.micary. abontsix inches distant from tn
entrance. Lowered the glass with
= thick black cloth to exclude the ligh
and fitted board snugly over it to hol
it in place. While was arranging tn
frame, both masters and slaves came OF
in large numbers and walked over an
around hisstrange contriyance for the
comfort They touched each other
antenne and rushed about in an excite
manner for few moments. Statistic
tint NJ enemy was near, they soon b.