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

visible tnOy return, and the labOrerS
come out and begin repairs. The army
ants of South America show great in
telligence. The workers, like our sap
| pers and miners, often 90 ahead and
form a protective arch, under which the
soldiers march; and so rapidly is this
thrown up that the onward march is
not delayed. The ants are also slave
owners. They capture ants of other
species and force them to work for
them and attend them as body servants.
| So luxurious 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.
SAINTS are also farmers. In Texas a
tribe collect the seeds of various plants
and plant them in close proximity to
their homes, so that they can benefit by
the seed. The farmer or grain ants Of
Europe store up vast supplies in UNDER
ground granaries. After damp season
the seeds are taken out and laid in the
sun and finally returned"
''How is it the seeds don't sproutp"
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. 1t is supposed that the ants bite
the seeds in some way so that they ATE
in state of coma, just as wasps sting
animals so that they remain insensible
for months. Ants may be said also to
keep cows-not exactly Durhams, but
insects that answer the same purpose.
TheyIeullect the, plant lice, and, by ca
ressing them inssome way, force or in
duce them to give out,or exnde drop
of sweet liquor. 81 have seen five or six
ants awaitin@4heif turn to milk one of
these COWS. The ants often collect the
eggs of heaphides, place thenfon plants
near their homes, and earesfor them in
many ways. just as we do for our blooded
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 beetles and other insects
as pets, some as playfellows, Others on
account of their odof. Several hundred
distinct species of insects are in this way
kept prisoners under ground.
SIN engineering the ants are equally
skillful. They bridge wide rivers by
joining together their bodies, clinging
one to another, and thus forming long
string that the wind blows across the
stream. In this way bridge is formed
over which an entire army passes"
/. 'sJames, James," cried shrill voice
from another room.
fsThat's my mother-in-law," whis-
pered the naturalist, confidentially;
"she's the one exception. There ism
her prototype in the entire animal
kingdom. :" ta4
James, if you think I'm going to al
low my daughters piano cover to be
used to cultivate moths on, you're mis-
taken. A florid-faced, much excited
lady here burst into the room, and, upon
seeing the reporter, withdrew as if
| jerked from behind.
tits impossible" said the impertur-
bable man of science, to impress woman
with the fact that it's ever necessary to
make any sacrifice in the cause of
science. I've been cultivating those
moth cocoons all winter, in hopes of a
glorious harvest this spring, but there
they go at one fell swoop. They afford
an example of what you might call es-
thetic feeling among the lower animals.
That piano cover was of mixed colors,
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 half Sc
lected red threads in making their win
ter 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 it was first formed of finely
ground pieces of sand-in fact, of any
thing that the animal could get hold Of,
just as the inner walling of house is
made of rough material; but when it
comes to the exterior, there is a chance
for decoration. AS the builder uses
finer woods for the outside, so the worm
has applied all these delicate shells, so
that the tube seems made up of them.
Here is another shell called the Phorus,
found in Japanese waters. 1t affects
large bivalve shells, and in some way
sticks them about its 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 a fossil,
SHOWlnS blltb SuOI1S ulu UuO oetluC JIllLg
millions of years ago.
MANY birds have the decorative in
stinct. 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 all its tai
feathers except the tip of the longest
plumes, and thus gives itself jaunty
air. The horn bills color their feathers
artificially from certain glands.
family of birds found in Australia, and
allied to the birds of paradise, bring
sheels and other objects miles from the
sea and decorate their play-houses with
them. Some fancy curious bones, 9th
ers shells, and others prefer fresh flow
ers.
:. ''Now, as to. builders. The architect
ural ability Of birds almost equals that
Y Of man. Some nests, like those of {
WestIndian blackbird, are hotels, anC
are built by several birds, who sit OF
Y any or all of the eggs, as it Happens
Then there are flats built by the tailo
birds, where the residences are side BY
side and protected by perfect roof
Among the other workers is the carpen
ter bee, that bores n hole as perfect a
the finest instrument OF human make