The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-07-07
OCCUPATIONS OF ANIMALS.

OCCUPATIONS OF ANIMALS.
Dynamite Fiends, Undertal1ers, Doctors,
and Esthetes-Birds that Build Apart
ment Houses and Keep Hotels-Spider
Sailors.
There's a curious reflection of human
affairs in the actions of the lower ami
mails" said the naturalist to the re-
porter.
Everything but the dynamite phase"
suggested the latter.
mo, won't except that" was the
reply; land I'll wager you can't mem
ton class of men or an occupation
followed by them to which can't show
you something similar in the so-called
lower animal kingdom etll
The reporter suggested the dynamite
well" continued the naturalist,
pulling out drawer npon which was a
blood-curdling name, "here's beetle
that belongs to the explosive brothers
hood, and so powerful an agent it is that
it is called the 'Bombardier,' and is
ready to go off at moments notice. 1t
is, you see, an old-fashioned sort of
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 report,
a puff of smoke would rise in the air,
and the pursuer would be completely
demorali2ed. | have seen these bonn
bardiers fire five or six times in as many
minutes, whirling about as if taking
aim. The explosives come from agland.
Quite o number of animals carry explo-
sives. The larvae of some dragon flies
eject liquid irritating to man. The
squids, however, lead in this respect. I
remember drifting along over the reef
at Nassau several years ago, and seeing
several squads Just below the surface, /
put out my hand, and in second, my
Hearest friend wouldn't have knownme.
was literally drenched with ink, which
was thrown from distance of at least
three feet 1t was indelible, and still
have the vouchers in the way of stained
lnen."
Here the naturalist took down
drawer labeled ''Myrmeleon, and saids
4Hereis not only plotter, but u dia-
gram of its trap. The propensity
seems bred in the bone, as it is INDUCED
ii by the young insects. When first
latched the insect seeks out a soft soil
On some miniature sandy plain. 1t gem
orally holds its head in place at one
point, while its body is whirled about
Ike a pair of dividers. This done, the
insect begins throwing out the sand;
some is carried, but the greater part is
removed on plan that at least shows
al attempt at labor saving. With a
quick movement the worker shovels a
load upon Its head, and by backward
upward jerk hurls it far out of the ex-
cayation. If a pebble or stone is met
with it is tossed out in the same way,
misses half as large as the worker be-
ing hurled over foot away. When a
lafge stone is encountered the intelli-
gehce displayed is remarkable. The
engineer seems to know that the rock
can't be tossed, and so he carefully rolls
it upon his head and proceeds to climb
up the incline of the pit. Naturally the
stone would roll off of any incline, but
TO avert this the insect lifts its tail high
in air, and so crawls up the side with
thelstone on perfect level. have
seen them try a stone ten or fifteen
times, and then give it up and select
another location. After the pit is
completed it represents the cast of an
inverted cone, and at the bottom the in
sect conceals itself, leaving only its two
enormous jaws protruding. You see
here on this diagram the whole tragedy
is enacted We will suppose that this
ant is the Gar on the way to corona
ton. He rJshes along, comes to the
pit with his attendants, steps on the
prepared slides, and goes rolling down
into the mouth of the living or Nihilist
trap below. Perhaps when half way
down the ant regains a foothold, and
seems in fair way to escape, but the
trap maker throws off all concealment,
quickly shovels sand upon its head, and
hurls load aftef. load at the victim; who
rolls down helpless into his enemy s
Jaws, and is destroyed. When the trap
maker has sucked the blood, he uncere-
moniously hoists the remains upon his
head and throws them out upon the
sand. The pit is then repaired for the
next victim.
among the. animal workers al
occupations are ,found.O Take a
colony of bees, for instance. In
forming 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 Oh. Among the ants the workers
not onH have their share of work to do,
but they differ from the others in shape
and general appearance, the king,
queens. soldiers, and laborers being FL