Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-15
ABOUT ANTS,
Diminutive Animals Ranking Next
to Man in Intelltsence-How Their
Life Resembles That of the Human
Species-Their Wars, Loves and
Hatred.

to Man in Intelligence-How Their
Life Resembles That of the Human
Species-Their Wars, Loves and
Hatred.
The anthropoid apes no doubt ap-
proach nearer to man in bodily struc-
ture than do any other animals; but
when we consider the habits of ANTS,
their social organization, their large
communities and elaborate. habitations,
their roadways, their possession of do
nestle animals, and even in some cases
OF slaves, it must be admitted that they
have a fair chance to rank next to man
in the scale of intelligence"
THAT" said the possessor of a fine
family of ants, sis what Sir John Lub-
book says OF the ant. In point of intel
hgence he places it next to man. 1 go
further still. and say that ants, or some
ants, are above the majority of wild hui
mar races. and should be placed next
to the so-called civilized man.
lis this upheld by fact?' asked the
.Emqusrer man, who was painfully con-
scious that one of the Speakers pets
was meandering over his person.
I Certainly it is" was the reply.
The only thing in which ants are behind
us is the fact that they have no written
language. Neither have the people of
many tribes and nations, however, but
you cannot point out 4 single habit or
custom that man has but what | can
show you a parallel among the little
creatures
''Do they talk?' asked the reporter.
"Not as we do said the naturalist,
<'neither do the deaf and dumb, but
they have a regular sign language.
Did you ever think" he asked, what
is going to be the result of this perfec-
ton of education among deaf-mutes?
We'll, looking at it as an evolutionist,
it is going to produce a new species of
the genus homo; it's as certain as YOU
are there. But. to return to the subject,
among my ants l see every dav evi-
dences that they talk. As an example,
l put a bit of a bug outside of the house;
an a moment an ant comes along, tugs
at it a few seconds. and then starts off
IN a direct line for the glass-house that
have so arranged that l can see all
that is going on within. As she goes in
/ put a little bit of white ocher on her
back, so that I can follow her. She
rushes into the nest and places her an
tenn" upon that of others, touching
them in various and significant WAYS,
and in a moment she returns to the
place of battle followed by twenty-five
or thirty other ants. Now, if she
hasn't told them that there is something
outside what has she done?
:kirby says on this point: If YOU
scatter the ruins of an ants nest in youl
apartment you will be furnished witt
another proof Of their language. The
ants will take athousand different paths
each going by itself, to increase The
chance of discovery; they will meet anc
cross each other in all directions, ano
perhaps will wander long before they
can find aspot convenient for their re
nnion. No sooner does any one discovel
a little chink in the floor through which
1t can pass below than it returns to it
companions, and, by means Of certain
motions Of its %antenna, makes some o
them comprehend what course they ar,
to pursue to find it, sometimes ever &C
'~companying them to the spot; these, il
their turn, become the guides of others
till all know which way to direct thei
steps
''Sir John Lubbock has made tn
most careful experiments with his ants
and demonstrated that they have mean
of communication without a doubt. Il
fact, nothing else could explain thci
wonderfully concerted actions. aud tn