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

| iholuhll1ies vi tho Bruuhu "hheoou
ray of light. W y N
After few hours had elapsed, 1
raised the cover and looked In upon the
busy workers. The sudden flood of light
caused great CONSERVATION among them
they hastily disappeared to the rooms
below through tw. wide entrances which
they had opened since the frame was
placed. They had divided the largo
space into two rooms, with slight par
tItion between and door leading into
each room. The ground had been lev
eled aud smoothed and slightly scooped
out. Many of the workers came to the
doors, put their heads out and fastened
back rs If afraid. l had disarranged
none of their work, having simply
raised the cover, but they seemed to be
unable to comprehend the unusual
light, and were frightened at the
strangeness of the sudden exposure.
Two Of the blacks, more courageous
than their comrades, resumed work.
They scraped the earth with their feet
and rolled it in lump, then took it in
their mandibles and carried it to the
edge of the frame and dropped it.
carefully excluded the light and left
them in peace until the next day, when
] again raised the cover and found the
inside of the frame nearly filled with
chrysalids. A great CONSERVATION
seized the inhabitants; they rushed
from the galleries, seized the chrysa-
lids and carried them below. l soon
excluded the light, but every day
looked in upon them. A large
number of masters and slaves were now
constantly outside of the frame, walk
ing over and around it as if on guard,
so that l was obliged to raise the
cover very quickly to avoid being at
tackled by the furious creatures. AS 1
laid the cloths back they rushed upon it
and bit it, as if chastising the author of
the mischief.
On the Goth of June the chrysalids
had disappeared and the interior of the
frame was swarming with winged indi-
viduals. The workers were Still ex-
cited; when l raised the cover, they
laid hold of the young queens aud
males by the antennp or leg and hur-
ried them below. The entrances were
soon blocked by the panic-stricken in
habiants, and the widest confusion
prevailed.
Both masters and slaves exercised
great care over the winged gentry. If
side of the frame, they were Immediately
conducted back by the vigilant guard.
This state of affairs continued until the
9th of July, when l found that great
change had been wroughtin theappear-
and OF the interior; not winged indivd-
ual was to be seen. The rooms had been
swept and garnished, and all the debris
was piled in one corner. About hand
F,,1 f
occupied portion of one of the rooms.
The debris consisted mostly of empty
cocoons and the wings OF the recent oc-
cupants. The slave makers are not noe
turnal in their habits, and yet the
winged members took their flight a lit
tie after sundown, between seven and
eight o'clock. From the amount of
wings piled among the debris there was
evidently a large number of queens con-
cealed within the formicary.
The queens. after taking flight, did
not return to the nest of their own ac-
cord; but the workers were on the
watch, and conducted back large num-
ber. Their wings were now removed,
and henceforth they remained within
the formicary, taking no part in the
wars or work of the colony, but were
fed and tended by the slaves The
males flew with the queens. but after
their flight the workers paid no atten-
tion to these helpless, homeless wan
derers, passing them with the utmost
, indifference. but eagerly seizing aqueen
and hurrying her back to the tormicary.
On the morning of the 7th of July
. the winged members of the colony be-
,, ing disposed Ola new movement was
. evidently on foot. The masters were
forming in line and marching to battle.
, No blacks were to be seen in this line.
: The chivalrous slave-owners did not
allow their captives to participate in
the wars and invasons upon other
tribes, although but a few days pre-
, vious, when the move was made, the
blacks had kept in the line and made as
good porters as their masters. The
war-path was about six inches in width,
and extended seventy feet to colony
/ of blacks, where the vast army halted
and was soon engaged in conflict. Their
, wars with other tribes / will not dwell
, upon, as they have been fully discussed
! elsewhere. Observers are divided in
opinion with regard to the primary OBJ
iect which the slave-makers have in
. capturing so many blacks. Some in
cline to the belief that the ants are cap
' tured for food, and that those not eaten
are reared as slaves.
The invaders, after successful bat.
, tie. returned home with the spoils and
! remained closely housed for two OIL
| three days; it was easy to imagine that
a great feast was going on in the under
ground rooms. While the ants were
{ thus housed the slaves did not move any
{ of the larvae or pupn which their mas
l ters had been bringing in to the nursery
above; but as soon as the warrior agair
r formed in line and marched to battle
, the slaves became very active. Some
carried out the debris that was piled il
/ the corner of the nursery and deposited
it at the foot of the hill. Others brough
f up pupe and larvae and placed them il
| the warm nursery; but the number
4 brought up bore no comparison to thu
/ great amount that had been carried be
. low. If all the pup@ and larvae wer'
{ reared that were carried home during
a the five or six weeks that these war
| continued, there ought to have been tel
/. or dozen blacks to one red master
: whereas there seemed to be fully Al
D many masters as slaves.
v On the other hand, have seen scm'
I things which make it doubtful if thu
E helpless young are eaten. The frs
: colony of blacks that were attacked thi
season had their upper nursery arrang
Q ed beneath board, which could rais'
, and thus have good view of thei
h young. A large cavity was filled will
@ cocoons, from which winged ants would
: eventually emerge. These cocoons ar,
e easily recognized, as they are consider
t ably larger than those containing work
o ers. After a fierce struggle. the vic
q torious slave makers drove the black
s from home and sacked the nurseries o
r all the larvae and pupe that would nfak'
d workers, but the large cocoons, holding
It winged ants, were left. These woul'
@ be OF no use MS slaves. Another fact
= have never found the remains of TIN
A pupe or larvae among the debris wher
n the refuse of insects and the dead bodie