Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-06-18
M1iseellaueuns &eadiug.
ANTS.


Ants are considered the most highly de-
veloped of the insects. Indeed, none of the
lower animals possess such remarkable in
stincts. They show great wisdom and inge-
nuity in building their nests and in reach
ing any desired point. They make roads
for themselves by carefully removing any
obstacle. They also dig tunnels of consid-
cradle length, sometimes resorting to this
methad for crossing broad rivers. They
protect their nests, fight battles, gather food,
tend their young, take care of domestic ami
mails. and possess slaves. Their industry is
not excelled by the bees and wasps. They
work all day, and when there is necessity,
even at night. Ants live in families, con-
sisting of males, females and workers. AT
first the young males and females are fur
nished with wings, and they fly from the
nest to select their mates. Immediately al
ter this first and only flight, the males die,
and the females strip off their wings, and
do not leave the nest again.
The workers are much more numerous
than the other classes some of them serve
as soldiers; others, which are generally
smaller, serve as nurses. All the labor OF
the colony falls&upon the workers, and they
attend to their various duties in the most
orderly manner. Ants do not all build
their nests in the same way. Some species
heap up mass of small sticks and pine
leaves; some bore into the trunks OF trees
but most ants make holes in the ground,
with little mounds of earth around the en-
trance, which we speak of as an ant-hili.
These nests are carefully contrived, with
passages and avenues leading to many
chambers. The entrances are closed every
NIGHT and opened in the morning. If it
rains they remain closed, and the ants are
confined within the nest. The eggs, which
are scarcelo large enough to be visible, are
not deposited in any special place by the fe-
males, but the nurses take possession OF
them Immediately, and are henceforth de-
voted in their attentions. The tiny eggs are
carried to some favorable place, and are con-
stantIy licked and cleaned, and their posi-
tion frequently changed. com,
From the eggs are Matched little Whlte
grubs, which are entirely dependent upon
their nurses for food. Everyday they are
carried into the sunshine, or at least to the
upper chambers that have beer warmed by
the sun, and toward evening they are all
taken back to the bottom of the nest, where
there is no chilliness. Just think of the Ia
bor, each one of those thousands OF Larvae
carried separately in the mouth of faithful
nurse If a shower comes on, or II the
Young family is threatened with danger,
they are quickly taken to some safe place.
When ready to enter the pupe state, the
Larvae cover themselves with sort of webb,
and are still carried hack and forth by the
nurses who continually clean them. Sir
John Lubbock, in his recent work on ants,
states that when the purpa are ready to
leave their cases, the nurses help them to
escape. ut is very pretty" he says, "to see
the older ants helping them to extricate
themselves, carefully unfolding their legs
and smoothing out the wings with truly
feminine tenderness and delicacy."
Ants not only keep their homes neat, but
they are careful Of their own personal
cleanliness. Their little feet are covered
with hairs, which form good brushes, and
on their bodies. They may often be seen
rubbing their feet together to clean them,
as flies do.-Harper's Young People.