The Red Cloud chief., 1881-08-25
ANTS.

SLANE-NAhlNG IN
We frequentlyread of wonderful feat,
and marvellous do ms % ants in iorcipn
countries, little thinking that the ants
oil our own country perform quite as r.
markablc expo =. We have in the
Northern States two species of save
making, two ~lcat-cuttine and several
carpenter ants. with very interesting
habits, Ini also harvesting ants, that
collect and store seeds. Tie slayc-mak-
lng ants tfOFTatCG SGn yUiHca) not onIy
make war upon ~ncighborng tribes and
capture the YOUNG, which the. rear As
slaves, but they 90 many other things
quite as wonderful, which seem To midi
cate that they have a language and 4
system of government or laws rcyulat-
ing the community.
My observations were made on the
slave masking ants IN a grove which sur
rounds the house. where a large co'ony
= have had their formicary fof several
.ears past. Afterliying in one p,accfor
a number of years, they concluded 10
change their home-not swarming Ike
bees, leaving a part of the COLONY in the
Old quarters. but the whole community
NOV ny aud taking with them their en-
tire elects. notwithstanding the i'm
mcnSc number of slaves and workers
engaged IN the enterprise, the building
oi the new home proyei to bc a slow
and laborious proceeding. On the 18th
of June | observed a line of ants COM
Ing from the home of the slave-makcrS,
which ! followed twenty feet to "A spot
where the new homo was alrcad, in
t.-.,rF.sGG H.. ,lo., ,.l,ns,,, ,.-.- 81. t.t,# "a.
hillock about fo8r feet in diameter, but
the surrounding ground was lowerthan
the old home.
From al appearances, they had not
been 1T work more than Il day or two,
Rs comparatively little earth was thrown
out. The baa X captiveS (FOrHl ca juS-
cd) were cVcavating at eleven different
points, n the red masters were walk
ing SLOWLY from enc group OF Saves to
another. Is If inspect ngtncIr work: and
now SIEVE al returned home and di>ap-
peared. but soon emerged with new re-
cruIts of blacks, which tell into Inc and
marched with them othe new quarters,
where they Joined their fellows in the
work ~ofcNcayation. The slaves did not
return home, but kept steadily al work,
VIII lie the masters were constantly 90
ing Jack and forth. The colony had
also another species of slave-the
brown ant (FiorUuica SchGUTurSiD. which
Still named at home. bringing IN
food for the community and nursing
the Young. Not one of these slaves. rs
far as I could see, was engaged at the
new home.
On the 18th of June, eight DAYS after
j first observed the move the building
had progressed sufficiently to admitthe
Noung iniothe newlv-conSUructed cham
beers. The busy porterS formed an
broken line from the old to the new
home, each carrying Il large chrySal ).
which contained \ WINGED individual.
Where chrySalids were larger and heav-
icr than the portcrS who bore them.
they containe | the future queens and
males, which in due time would swarm
and leave the coiony. The masters As
wei 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 redoubled
force. Some of the masters had now
taken hold, and were working as vigor-
oAN ' - AAt' S.-ANNS Ia "'lA a
ued with undated ardor for four or i've
DAYS, up t. the 18th, when the porters
again ;ormed in line-both masters and
slaves-and brought the heavy burdens.
which they LEFT in the new home and
returned for more. \ large force of
slaves WAS still mining. but several of
the entrances where they had been
forming galleries were now closed,
only live being open. y large number
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 of
the slaves brought bits OF wood, and
pebbles. and wild-cherry pits, which
they had previously piled about the old
home. The most difficult things To move
seemed to have the most value Bits OF
coal and pebbles, which had cost them
q great effort to get in place at the old
home. must row be carried twenty feet.
through grass 10 the new home. Some
times IL required five or six slaves 10
carr, the valued article, and when they
arrived with K they laid it near one OF
the entrances, or piled 1t on to the
material closing one of the former open
ings.
The construction of the new home
and the moving c~ontinuedup TO he lst.
taking seventeen dalS 10 accomplish
the great undertaking. The old home
WAS now entirely deserted. All inter
ests were conferred in the new. The
blacks still continued the mining at
three of the openings. the other w
having been closed. Some observers are
inclinedto bclieyethat the black captlyeS
Go not conform TO the habits OF their
masters. but do precisely rs they would
in n COLONY by themselves. The most
casual observer cannot fail to perceive
the great difference in the outward APP
peararce of the two formicarieS. A
formicary of free blacks Is spread over
a large surface OF ground and has many
open ms. while that of the slave-maker,
TO al GU ward appearance. Is compact
' and has but one main entrance Inc
slaves are compelled by their masters TO
close the entrance is soon as the gal
leries and chambers are finished. In 4
colony of blacks left to themselves the
numerous galleries are all open. A
careful observer will see many other
things to convince him that the slaves
are under subsection.
In order TO have a view of the MUIR
sery, | had a frame made OF window
sash, twelve by sixteen inches. The
pieces were obtained at a satisfactory
and Joined together BY the obliging ar
tisan. and a pane of glass fitted in the
sash, leaving it about two inches IN
depth. lad this frame over the for
micary. aboutsrx inches distant from The
entrance. lowered the glass with a
thick black cloth to exclude the light.
and fitted a board snugly overjtfo dc
it in place. While | was arranging the
frame, both masters and slaves came out
in large numbers and walked over and
around this strange contrivance for their
comfort. They touched each others
a~nseunse and rushed about in an excited
manner for a few moments. Satisfied
that no enemy was near, they soon be-