The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-15

s%s M -: sf 4, ~ c a as sH'; S.s as
from the east In papler, maehe. and whom
e Sssq 10 TAKEN
the same way. md two years age took . cast
tried 70 teIi no u was harmless as Ihsy didni
want the risk Of giving him chloroiorn but
sTSSrEht snd re-" the s:ss bFs Il
sss s sS g a. af r 4; %sS ssS things
WATCHING AN AHr ar WORR.
TIE Ineesssty asa ssgaeity shst CssvineeA .
Nassrahss thas Ants Csa Reassa.
III ever any one says to you that an ant
can't think and reason and form plans and
carry thom out - we'll ANY human being Just
send him 70 me. and LII tell him what saw
one do this very afternoon. II that doA't con-
vince him. what he thinks on any subject can
b Of no consequence whatever" said the nat
uralist to Sun reporter: but for fear I may
not b within reach when such person OK
presses his doubts to you ABOUT the reasoning
intelligence Of the ant I'll toll you what 1t was
saw. and then you can settle him with It
yourself
II was at High Bridge this afternoon. and
wandered up In the wooded hill beyond tho
tower and 10y down In the shade. Presently
my attention was attracted By the struggles Of
q short bat fat caterpillar In web some de-
si9ning spider had spun. and which spread its
Rossamer meshee between two small shrubs. to
the branches Of zach Of which 1t was fastened
by . number Of those :almost invlslbls guy
ropss which the marvellous enginosrine in.
stinot Of the spider teaches It arc necessary for
the safe anchorage OF Its web. The bottom Of
the silken trap wss about three inches from the
ground. to which II WINS also secured by three
guys. Tho caterpillar's struggles were all In
vain. and presently II resigned itself to Its fate.
and hay psrtec1ly mottonless In the web.
Extending upward from the spiders web
to the lower branch Of q young oak tree. at
least hve feet Immediately above II. ran two
silken strands. They wero much larger than
the strsuds Of any other part Of tho web. and
were doubtless intended by tho spider for en-
frances or exits from his house. In cnso he had
business up In the troe. which he evidently
had. for there was q similar web woven on one
Of It's branches. higher up. Tho spider was
not Mt home. and. knowing that his meeting
with the caterpillar whom no returned would
no attended with Interesting Incidents. ! re-
and and patches q Sky that here "I and there
isi I"'u upon : large ''1 wood ant. moving
down the trunk with that apparent
% 81 the ms SsS %
pSspess Which ieis se SoaSs ttss Sss in. 3.
hurled through The grass directly toward tbs
q SPOT some four feet from the trees trunk.
When the ant reached the web 1t stopped d.
a. and
then the ant ran irantiea " to one Of the ground
its why out TO 1t on the Web
Arriving on the outer boundary OF the spi-
snd e
ter there was 10 Leave hope behind. rushed
back s 70 The ground HSnini and climbed one q
and showsd int nsonss dssrs
to the web on eysry connecting strand. Salts:
tying itself that It's object could not be attained
and tried oil the avenues to the net on the
other shrub When it reached the top guy the
ant paused. 1t remained In one plaes for
candnss and laying pnns for future ' scton
lie an. rss dscosssea the Vf long n Strands
OF web leading to the branch above. Az tts sub;
doI rs irst movement Mas to besin WhSt
first thought was reinspection OF the an
chora9es, but before the ant had descended the
floating loosely in the air. The ant was nip
Sn nn the web from the one shrub II hur-
haste cut every guy On tast side 9. well and f.
only By lie i've strong strands from the branch
s'S That the an. was nov at work on some sys-
tsmatte plan there could b no p9ssible doubt;
thSs sSs The weS swSx free Ike
hammock, at the sport Of the wind? The ant
soon answered the question. i had 20 sooner
startsd Wildly S Tor Tie tree from witch i had
and n sss I've MIN
from the time, the ant left the. shrub Il
1 the v ,se fed ss Ss
sssrslins y bds issSe :t.ss%sns Tor vhsn
branoh 70 ono Of the strands 70 which the
spiders web now hung SUSPENDED. and pro-
cs6s name down es dsSess,.
cable, Of SPIDERS web was its natural line Q!
about on the strand. fastened It's powerful hind
legs IN the edge and then began to pull itself
The. ants plan was now plain to me. Its
!; sa e; IL: s:
sa!a ss!e Ss.ss:a " &: .fss = q no.: ~
denly discovered the strands connecting the
net with the branch. 1t had seen at onco that
.thom up Into the tree. Vas Il instinct e, that
web must be cut loose from It's mocrings to the
| shrubs and ground2 Or was II instinct that
| suggested the plan itself to the ant. and sent
It scurrying In ell haste from the web It had set
IN ss g f a'
and then down to ;hs net No was genuine
We'll hand over hand went the ant Juggling
ct the mass Of web and weight OF worm below,
raised the web toward the tree less than foot
to awaken ali d sudden to the !aet that some
new danger threatened It. and It began 70
cable to sway to and fro. and the web to jump
up and down In such manner that the ant. TO
loosened the web and Il iell back. This seemed
| to dsconcert and discourage the ant for mo-
ment. II ran 10 and down the strand as II It
didn't know exactly what 10 do. Suddenly j
time saw It coming down the cable again,
and. most wonderful thing OF all. down the other
| cAhl0 anOthQr n hip and q