New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
INSECT LIFE IN CEsTR4L PARK.

TIE WAY ANTS CAPTURE THEIR rREY--A PATH
MADE ny PROCESSION OF AyTs.
"Thc last summer has been especially favOra-
he U insect life. Plant parasites have thriven in the
most uueZ pccted plle Tree were infested with
traorinqry number %: clterbnars Wherever there
mustard plant little green lee could be found in
bers that could be rcckoned Even In Central Park
wnere care is taken OF the reea unusual collection Of
parasites found only short time acO. While these
forms Of Lire disareeable 10 the majority OF persons,
there are little he found In the Park
bright days this tate time OF the year which
capable interesting any who has the Of his
eyes."
The speaker standlug at the edge OF walk in the Park
was gazing ntenty while he talked, brown spot Of
earth where grass had failed 20 take root The per
spoken to- having The of his eyes in the sense
meant by the naturalist nothing eycept unsighty
bare place which should have been green.
You don't what 1t IA that attracted my attention
suspect" added The naturalist
NO" answered the other, haven't put my mind to
it yet but il you are studying the methods Of topressng
pursid In the Park think there places avOra-
bic than this"
Nothing OF the kind I was merely watch
ing thai ant running about With burden large as
itselL"
IL took some little time ae the unframed pair Of
eyes to bear on the H,ta ker. When found, he was
seen to firmly gasped ia his nippers the body of
small green fy numbers Of whose relatives Jumping
and flying In the neighboring grass
The ants must cOuHier those fies dclicacy. should
not like 10 give an estimate the OF ants have
seen here az different times carrying hy which Il
had captured and killed. They cunning hunters and
will lie In wait there In the grss for long time In order
10 secure their game, Sooner later hy Is seen 10
aght where he can he Pounced upon, and then short
work il made him. But have caused trouble for this
ant myself I suspected that its nest was somewhere
under the leaves az edge OF the walk and took
all away one by He then going the ground
rapidly and with apparent certainty his destination
But since the leaves hs has been wander
ing alessly about " he had quite lost his way That
ia an important wih this httle chap De
belongs to tribe that IN bodies and professions
They are not n the habit Of wandering far the main
trail"
You don't mean TO say that ants actually make a
pathF7
on course they do It was a long time, however be
fore the time came when could the path ltself
only Inferred that there path from the be-
wildcrment shown by individuals when they
got a few inches away from the line. They
wandered back and forth exactly a. a wOodsnan would
DO VINO had lost the path through forest Iney would
not 20 far either forward backward until they found
the accustomed walk. one afternoon when the wak'
were damp IN the mnruing. vaA sannterine
u the Park aud found Of these prOcsaOns The
line had been formed along tue edge OF sinOOth hard
bedded walk and the WeFe easy observed coming
and going The object OF al the movement some
candy that had been thrown down just beside the walk
The ants had probably been at work hours. When
perhaps half inch wide My inference IL that the path
which could only Dy reason OF the rain was obvious
To Che ants al ali timea.
warmer climates about winch much has been written
There are many eiOailiCs Central Park that mol
! mentioned in the list OF thinen to be SEEN"