Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-12

NUS oi1en COtfect tne eggs OF the apnl0eS, place
them on plants near their homes and care for
them in many ways, just as we do for our blood
ed stock In the fall ants have been known to
take their cows under ground and try to keep
them through the winter. Many ants keep bee
ties and other insects as PETS some as play
fellows. others on account OF their odor. Sew
eral hundred distinct species Of insects are in
this way kept prisoners under ground
I'm engineering the ants are equally skillful.
They bridge wide rivers by joining together their
bodies, clinging one to another, and thus FORM
Ing long string that the wind blows across the
stream. In this way bridge is formed over
which an entire army passes"
James, James," cries q shrill v0ice from
another room.
That's my mother-in-law," whispered the
naturalist, confdentially; '.she's the one excep-
ton. There isn't her prototype in the entire
''James, If you think I'm going to allow nv
daughters piano cover to be used to cultivate
moths on, you are mistaken" A forid- faced
much excited lady here burst into the room
a9d, upon seeing the reporter, withdrew as II
"Its impossible" said the imperturbable man
OF science, ito impress woman with the fact
that it's ever necessary to make apy sacrifice in
the cause of science I've been cultiyating those
moth cocoons all winter, In hopes of glorious
harvest this spring, but there they 90 at one fell
swoop. They afford an example of what you
might call esthetic feeling among the lower
and. between you and me. placed the worms
there last fall merely to see if they showed any
preference for color and they certainly did
Over halt selected red threads in making their
winter nests and all were evidently in favor Of
decoration, as they selected the brightest colOrs,
the worms seemingly going out of their way to
select them.
''Here is the tube Of marine worm You see
1t was first formed of finely ground pieces of
sand-in fact, Of anything that the animal could
get hold OF. just as the inner waling of q house
Is made of rough material; but when it comes to
the exterior, there is chance for decoration.
As the builder uses finer woods for the outside
so the worm has applied all these delicate Shells
30 that the tube seems made up of them. Here
Is another shell called the Phorus, found in jap
anese waters. It affects large bivalve shells. and
In some way sticks them about it's shell. Now, If
the animal had no taste, the first old shell or
stone that came along would be used; but as
you see, nothing but these shells are used
Here's another and fossil, showing that shells
did the same thing millions fyears ago.
MANY birds have the decorative instinct.
Certain ones In Africa are said to fasten fire
flies to their nests that CLEAN at night like SO
many diamonds. Another African bird bites Off
an It's tail feathers except the tip Of the longest
piumes and thus gives itself jaunty air. The
hornblls color their feathers artifcially from
certain glands. A family of birds found In Aus
tfa,ia, and allied to the birds Of paradise, bring
silehs ana other objects miles from the sea and
Secefate tneir play houses with them. Some
iahcy curious bones, others shells, and others
prefer fresh flowers
:. NOW, as to builders The architectural abil-
NY Oh Drds almost equals that of man. Some
nests nests. IKE those ofa West Indian blackbird. are
ioscis' ana are built by several birds, who sit