, 1881-11-06

others by two different observers. Tim,
Mossridse says: - / was able to watch H.
operation Of N4e
REMOVING ROOTS
Which .aad pierced through their galleries, b.
tace, 'lta which was performed by two ,"ts
one pulling az the free eld Of tic root. and
other g1lawing at it; fibre; where the stra;ss ss
was greatest, until ut length i: gave wars
Again. as previously quoted in another en-.
combll1e their efforts, one stutloniny ifs"it
near the base Of fcotstail1 and gnawlns ~
tie pollt OF greatest tension. while the nfhass ss
laMls upon and twists it. O'e'
Tie other observer to whom I have m.
tl aetreu Is McGook, WHO says OF the harvesting
anus or America that he has seen s'tlle wnrto,
erS, IN several cases, leave tile puiut at which
tfley had begun cutting, ascend the bla,ia
anu piss as far toward tie punt as uossiS1s'
me hlade was thus borne downward. ani
rs tle Ant sWaSed up and down. it really
seemed tlat she was taking advantage Of Tia !
augmented torcc to bear upon the fracture
II Two OF three cases there appeared to lie
DIVISION of iabor-tiiat is to say, while tl,a
cutter at the roots kept on with his work
another ant climbed the grass-blatle and ap.
piled the power ut the opposit end Of fla
lever. This position may nave been unite ~. ar.
c!dental. but it certainly had the appearance
of voluntary cooperation
These observations serve to render less i1n-
pIooable the following quotation taken from
;mGleys ~ Gsy tie acGo9nt Of Capt Cooks expedition
III Ne" South " aIe:. and youci,ed fur by Sir
J, Banks Green ants were seen forming
tneir nests IN trees by s'bemdny down sey-
eral OF the leaves, each OF which Is rs broad
as a mans hand, and gluiny the points Ut
~, 1i.en .ogetner SO rs to torAl ! purse. -.
to hold them i'll this position, wh,le ntner
busy multIt'tdes within were employed in
applylnE the gluten that was to prevent their
returning back
McCook says Of the harvesters OF America
that they dislike shade, SO that It Il tree
grows 10 in their vicinity and cast casts asll:,,Inw
over their nest they forthwith migrate lie
gives i'll this connection !. statement which /
regard as
BORDERING on THE INCREDIBLE,
and therefore I desire it to be specially OBJ
served that it is not very evident from
McCO0k's account whether lie himself Wit
messed the facts. The facts, however, which
he narrares, are that Il peacll-tree having
grown up so as to overshatluw nest Ut
harvesting ants, the latter climbed the tree
to strip OFT the leaves. II am conyinced,'
says McCuok, that the reason! for this on
slausht was the desire to be rid Of the ob
noxl0us Shattc- -.
OA ~
tain ms in 11,,I i,.. ,*,ined . .:1y;'I.. nn.nr,a.
~ fran It's I,,y;n,, h..e,' nuhIislrI hy S,ssnca
III his popular work oil Instinct. He says
that in order to guard his provisions from
llie ittS e put tAGi vi u t.toie, tne toui ~;
OF WHICH liz pi;tceu Ill rs many .uastlls nlet
Will water. Some ants Stl1l succeeded III
ScratIbllug across the waiter, and So the les
Of tile table were likewise painted with tur-
nrutine 'rlu. ants then ran IN Il wall near
<vhich the f.h!.A stnnd and vf,pt, ahout, !, f0nt
t.,.. ;t la,.ai +ho,. snr.,ur fro,, ia ,,.,1f ~
',oo'E 10 'e'e'' l41eS oPt"'o 11oi4t t44o ""'A !"
the taole- :,
Somewhat analogous 10 tlllS IS LIE 0Dserya-
tIDn Of Prof. LeNckl!art, who placed round
the trunk of Il tree which had been visited
Inv ants us u pasture for apflides, il broad
,.inth soakci in tobaccO-wttcr. When tbt
onts ret',rninc I,onr In,y,, ria trunk nj tia
49, .;t ~ ~. S,I-,ti .,tt1. t,.,e tur.aJ
ttee' - - ~ ~ . ttis ..s ~
IoaHu, WE'LL up llle tlec settA - sums ~ t41a
o'eI'a!:s!,5 oIcSs, n .uI, t,;,'' .H"s" t;n-
aet'Gs 10 nIop e!e.' ~ te .,'>I ~; u~a'is' ~
vi tne utliei LIAM, t,e nts MN ~
tia ol,struction. tIlen turned back and uru-
curd soue pellet; of earth, which they car
riett i'll their Jaws and deposited. one after
another 1tpull the cloth Till Il harmless road
f,f parti, wis made across il, a..
,I,i,f: ,t,sary,t1nn nf Prof Tarckiart il in
'a !s uus.t - -, .,In'osr ;i,,t;caI
~ :. ~ ~ tlVoo1 "stuii i v. 80. 49, s.. M ~ Ms;
o1le !!iaAc liiole llialt d CeHtH'J aSu ~ :ti"s
llitl fleury, anu coiltullicHeu ny MN ~
kI:lunlur, who published It III Ills NatuIal
Ifistury Of Insects" tl7;;i}. Tile Cardinal
sn,nnrptf the trt.nk nf Il TREE with lirti-fiEnt