The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-06-14
OCCUPATIONS OF ANIMALS.

OCCUPATIONS OF ANIMALS.
Dynamite Tiends, UndertaIter, Doctors,
and 5sthetes-Birds that Build Apart
ment Houses and Keep Hotels-Spider
Sailors.
There's curious reflection of human
affairs in the actions of the lower ami
mails, said the naturalist to the re-
porter
'Everythingbut the dynamite phase"
suggested the latter.
'No, won't except that, was the
reply; ''and LII wager you can't mem
ton a class of men or an occupation
followed by them to which / cant show
you something similar in the so-called
lower animal kingdom"
The reporter suggested the dynamite
fiend
"Well,n continued the naturalist,
pulling out drawer upon which was a
blood-curdling name, "here's beetle
that belongs TO the explosive brother
hood and so powerful an agent it is that
it is called the 'Bombardier, and is
ready to 90 off at moments notice. 1t
is, as you see, an old-fashioned sort of
fellow doesn't affect long hair and the
like; but let an enemy follow it too
closel and it stops suddenly, and if you
were listening you would hear report,
apuif of smoke would rise in the air,
and the pursuer would be completely
demoralized. | have seen these bonn
bardiers fire five or six times in as many
minutes, whirling about as if taking
aim. The explosives come from gland.
Quite number of animals carry explo-
siyes The Larvae of some dragon flies
electa liquid irritating to man. The
squids, however, lead in this respect.
remember drifting along over the reef
at Nassau several years ago, and seeing
several squids Just below the surface, j
put out my hand, and in second my
dearest friend wouldn't have known me.
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
linen"
Here the naturalist took down q
drawer labeled ''Myrmeleon, and said;
Here is not only plotter, but dia-
gram OF its trap. The propensity
seems bred in the bone, as it is indulged
IN BY the young insects. When first
Matched the insect seeks out soft soil
on some miniature sandy plain. II gen
orally holds its head in place at one
point, while its body is whirled about
IKE 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
an attempt at labor saving. With
quick movement the worker shovels n
load upon its head, and by backward
upward jerk hurls it far out of the ex-
caVatlon If a pebble or stone is met
win 1t IS tossed out in the same way,
masses half as large as the worker be-
ilg hurled over a foot away. When n
large stone is encountered the intelli-
eence displayed is remarkable. The
engineer seemS to know that the rock
can be tossed, and so he carefullyrolls
II upon his head and proceeds to climb
up the incline of the pit. Naturally the
stone would roll off of any incline, but
70 avert this the insect lifts its tail high.
IN IN alr' and SO crawls up the side with
lhe stone on a perfect level. have
seeh them try stone ten or fifteen
unes' and then give it UP and select.
auother location. After the pit is
completed it itrepresents the cast of an
inverted conc, and at the bottom the in
wv eonceals itself, leaving only its two
Inormous Jaws prohuding. You see.
nele on this diagram the whole tragedy
- enacted. We will suppose that this
on; %as Is me Car on the way to corona
~on ne rushes along, comes to the
plt with his attendants, steps on the
prepared slides, and goes rolling down.
,na ,nso She mouth of the living or Nihilist
5dap peiow. Perhaps when half way
soNn lhe ant regains foothold, and
seehS IN fair way to escape, but the
zap maker throws off all concealment.
quickly shovels sand upon lis head. and
roIIl rJI,s loau after load at the victim; who
;;olls down helpless into his enemy's
avs and is destroyed When the trap
,naAer mas sucked the blood, he uncere-
hnohlousiy hoists the remains upon his
Hea9 and throws them out upon the
nar. ,ana' Inc pit is then repaired for the
amor, among the animal workers all
occupations are found. Take a
Soy Soaony oil bees, for instance. In
ii ,D.nling a nest one set of bees are
sauinary laborers, and form the
SSugn cells. A set Of skilled laborers
s,ien take hold and shape the cells. and
M w among the ants the workers
bvt t my nave their share of work to do,
sn5 'nel differ from the others in shape
na general appearance, the king.
S' solulers, and laborers being all