Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-11-13
THE HOEET-AEIs
PECULIAR HABITS or THESE Ours
GUS NOCTURNAL INSECTS
Laying Up Sweets for o Rainy pay-saIeo-
tlon Of Livlag ssorass- q ottlas-qak-
iug Care Of the Honsy-
Bearers.


LARAhA /"
The honey.ants are found from southern
Mexico as far north as Colorado, and arc
easily recognized BY the tall ~niounc-like
structures or nests that they erect.
They are like the owl, almost entirely
nocturnal. carrying on their outdoor work
at night, although their domestic duties
underground are probably not neglected
during the day. AS soon as the darkness
comes on, they sally out Of their sub
terranean cities, and wander about. climb
ing bushes and trees In search Of the food
of their choice, which. ~curiously enough,
is honey.
This will occur to you as an excep-
tional case among ants, as they gener-
ally, perhaps, as q rule, feed upon mate
rial that can be stored up; but here where
the food is liquid you would assume that
it could not be laid by for a rainy day. 50
to SPEAK, for the simple reason that the
ants have no tanks. asks or bottles t.
hold the supply, nor the ingenuity to
make them. Let us not say, however,
that they have not sufficient intelligence
to find substitute, as they certainly
have.
PECULIAR FORMATION.
If we examine one of these ants. we
shall find that the abdomen, or rear
larger portion, is protected by ten plates
or bands that are movable, and as they
are connected or underlaid by a very deli
cate membrane almost like rubber, they
can be stretched apart to a wonderful de-
gree, allowing the abdomen to assunS3 the
appearance Of a tiny balloon four or five
times its normal size. The ants also have
a crop that is capable of great distention.
and governed by sets of powerful muscles;
in other respects they resemble ordinary
ants.
Now by some arrangement, whether by
agreement taking their turn, or by force.
is not known, certain ants are selected by
the others as living bottles; in Other
words, they are obliged to receive the
supply brought in by the rest, and retain
it. When the foraging ants return, they
have their crops filed with honey, anc
proceed directly to the bottles
Placing their mouths in contact will
that Of the unfortunate living receptacle, By
contraction of the muscles mentioned, the
contents of the crop are forced out ant
into the bottle. Ant after ant unloads II
this way, until the elasticity Of the recip
lent is tested to the utmost, and it can re-
ceive or hold no more.
THE H0NEY-BEARERs.
The insect is then absolutely helpless
The crop and abdomen have expande'
until it resembles IN amber. hued sac, a
we have seen, the size Of a currant. til
head and limbs having almost disaT
peared, hanging upon the side like
stem, while the other organs within th
little creature are so pressed out of shap
that it is with the greatest difficulty the
are traced
Loaded down in this way, and surfeite
with sweets, the bottles are NATURAL
powerless, and that this is appreciate
by the others is evident from an examin;
ton Of theit nests, when it will b
, found that the honey-bearers al
+ given a separate room and ther
J tended wi h the greatest car
They are, perhaps, placed there befor
q being filled, or carried in later; but
any case they are found together in a sci
arate apartment, hanging from the roo
to which they cling with their limbs. an
appearing like ripe fruit suspended fr0l
invisible vines.
This, then, is the pantry, or stor,
room, of the honey ants, and here is kep
what corresponds to the winter store Q
other animals. When the other ants al
hungry they proceed to this room an
lick oil the drops of honey that by muscu
lar contraction are forced out by til
patient and never hungry living bottle.
The nests Of the h%oney.ant are eagerl
sought after by the native Mexicans. an
the store,houses pillaged Of the bottle
that are served as delicacies by them.