The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-06-01
THE WONDERS OF NATURE.
soME CURIOUS OCCUPATIONS OF
ANIMALS.

"There's a curious reflection of
human affairs in the actions of the
lower animals" said a naturalist to a
reporter of the New York sun.
Everything but the dynamite
phrase" suggested the latter.
"No, l won't except that" was the
reply; "and I'll wager you can't men
ton a class of men or an occupation
followed by them to which 1 can't
show you something similar in the So
called lower animal kingdom"
The reporter suggested the dynamite
fend.
"Well," continued the naturalist,
pulling out a drawer upon which was
a blood-curdling name, "here's a bottle
that belongs to the explosive brother
hood, and so powerful an agent it is
that it is called the 'Bombardier,' and
is ready to go off at a moments notice.
1t is as you see an old-fashioned sort
of a fellow-doesn't affect long hair
and the like; but let an enemy follow
it too closely and it stops suddenly, and
if you were listening you would hear
a report, a puff of smoke would rise
in the air, and the pursuer would be
completely demoralized. 1 have seen
these bombardiers fire five or six times
in as many minutes, wLirling about as
if taking aim. The explosives come
from a gland. Quite a number of ami
mails carry explosives. The Larvae of
some dragon flies eject a liquid irri-
tating to man. The squids, however,
lead in this respect. 1 remember
drifting along over the reef at Nassau
several years ago, and seeing several
squids just below the surface, 1 put
out my hand, and in a second my dear
est friend would not have known me.
I was literally drenched with ink,
which was thrown from a distance of
at least three feet. 1t was inde.ible,
and l still have the vouchers in the
way of stained linen.
"Among the animal workers all &C.
equations are found. Take a colony of
bees, for instance. In forming a nest
one set of bees are ordinary laborers
and form the rough cells. A set of
skilled laborers then take hold and
shape the cells, and so on. Among the
ants the workers not only have their
share to do, but they differ from the
others in shape and general appear
ance, the kings, queens. soldiers and
laborers being all markedly different
in appearance. The soldiers have
enormous jaws, but never work. They
rush out fiercely when you break into
a nest. If the enemy is not visible
they return, and the laborers come out
and begin repairs. The army ants of
South America show great intelligence.
The workers, like our sappers and
miners, often go ahead and form a pro-
tectlve arch, under which the soldiers
march, and so rapidly is this thrown
up that the onward march is not de-
layed. The ants are also slave owners.
They capture ants of other species and
force them to work for them and at
tend them as body servants So lux
urious do some of these slave owners
become that they are utterly helpless
when deprived of their menials. The
latter not only wait on their masters,
but feed them. If the slaves are taken
away their owners perish.
"Ants are also farmers. In Texas
a tribe collect the seeds of various
plants and plant them in close prox-
unity to their homes, s. they can bene.
fit by the seed. The farmer OF grain
ants of Europe store up vast supplies
in underground granaries. After a
damp season the seeds are taken out
and lad in the sun and finally re-
turned"
"How is it the seeds don't sprout q
asked the reporter.
That's the most wonderful part OF
it. The seeds don't sprout, though
there they are, planted underground
and kept fresh. tits supposed that the
ants bite the seeds in some way SC
that they are in a state of coma, just
Is wasps sting animals so that they
remain insensible for months. Ants
may be said also to keep cows-not ex
actly Durhams, but insects that answer
the same purpose. They collect the
plant lice and, by caressing them in
some way, force or induce them to give
out or exude a drop of sweet liquor
i have seen five or six ants awaiting
their turn to milk one of these COWS
The ants often collect the eggs of the
aphides, place them on plants neal
Their homes, and care for them il
many ways. just IS we do for oul
blooded stock. In the fall ants hav,
been known to take their COWS under
ground and try to keep them through
the winter. Many ants keep beetle:
and other insects as pets, some a.
playfellows, others on account of theii
Odor. Several hundred distinct specie
of insects are in this way kept prison
ers under ground.
"In engineering the ants are equally
skillful. They bridge wide rivers BY
joining together Their bodies, clingine
N to another, and thus forming /
long string that the wind blows across
the stream. In this way a bridge il
formed over which an entire army
passes.
"Many birds have the decorative in
stinct. Certain one in Africa ar,
said to fasten firehies to their nests
that CLEAN at night like 50 many dia