The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-09-19

Then these baby ants wind curtain OF
silk around their own little bodies and
90 to sleep, to wake up full-grown ants,
without guide, overseer and ruler"
except the tender services of the nurse.
Isn't it wonderful that these little ants
can do so much for themselves? so ex-
actly right, and in such order, too,
each one knowing its business and do |
ing it just as if they had a commander
to order their every movement
No one ant seems to have any person.
al property, neither house, stores, nor
eggs. Everything belongs to all, and
yet, while the whole world is wrapped
in lazy content in the summer wealth
err they are alwaya latoring very hard
for the whole community. And if, per-
chance, their little citadel is impaired,
as is often the case, they repair the
ruin with the utmost neatness and dis
patch.
Did you ever see an ant seize pei.
let, or stone, and drag it backwards
up a steep incline using its hind legs to
cling on to rough places, often Juggling
away at weight far greater than that
of its own bodyP Some hoist aloft in
their front arms, as it were, a stick or
piece of grass, two or three times its
own length, moving it forward as if in
the air. And when they build, each
addition is put in what each considers
the best place, but the general form of
the dome grows into cur ously regu-
lar diminishing curve, as if every one
bore the architects elevation in his
pocket,
Some of these wonderful workers
make desperate attempts to move
heavy beams of wood, but after super
human exertions give up the attempt
when clearly beyond their strength. If
thing, however, is within the bounds
of possibility, it is surprising with what
obstinate pertinacity they will return to
a pellet which has rolled away from
them, even to the bottom of the hillock,
again and again, and begin once more
to haul it up, Juggling, lifting it over
stones and under sticks, tumbling over
with their burden on the other side of
an obstacle which they had scaled, and
lying for few seconds quite exhausted,
: vet never leaving hold of the + burden,
and setting off undauntedly as soon as
they recovered breath. Occasionally
two or more will lend u helping hand,
but as general thing they prefer to
work alone. The hand of man is con-
sidered miracle of art, but what OF
the ants six prehensile feet, Indifferent
organs as they seem comparatively, to
hold or pull or lift or even to cling with!
But what will you say, apart from
their building ability and tender care
over each other, the almost moral ele-
walton which is their most eXtraordi-
nary quality, where by thegood of the in
| dividual is given up to that of the COM
munity, if should tell you of one with
J still more remarkable powers, and this
is the agricultural ant of TeXasp You
: will hardly believe the story, and yet it
; is vouched for by eminent naturalists
and others who have made them their
study This ant is one of the brown
: species living in families, occupying
} mounds or cities, as they are called, set
) upon artificial hills three or four feet in
) diameter. Around these mounds the
t ants smooth away the surface for three
| or four feet further in all directions,
: and make sort of farm of this cleared
9 region. Here they are said to actually
plant the seeds of a certain grass OF
5 which they are very fond, keeping the
? crop clear of all weeds and grasses
: meanwhile. Then they harvest the
a seeds, clearing the chaff away. and
< store the rest for winter use. They tend
G these seeds as carefully in winter as
e they tend their eggs and grubs, drying
i it when damp, and actually throwing il
, away when spoiled Their harvest
It time is in November, and after harvest
4 they clear away the stubble and leave
5 the surface bare for the next year.
How incredible this seemsl and YET
= we are not surprised at anything we
b hear about these wonderfully knowing
,: little creatures.
t No wonder that the ant has been
5 held up as a model of wisdom and in.
b dustry. Solomon declares the ant tC
p be "a people not strong, but exceeding
o wise, who prepare their meat in the
# summer" But the highest praise il
n has received is from Mr. Darwin, who
|, says that 1.-THE size of the brain is close
c ly connected with higher menta
n powers, and the cerebral ganglia o.
y ants is of extraordinary comparative
e dimensions" The fneness of the
o quality seems to make up for absence
d of quantity. "The brain of an ant,
t. another naturalist has said, too, III
l, one of the most marvellous atoms O.
h matter in the world, far more wonder
y full than the brain of man. Mrs q
,e Hall, IN ~ y Observer.
n