Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-26
HABITS OF CERTAIN ANTS.
HOW ALMOST HUMAN THEY AP-
PEAR TO BE IN THEIR PASSIONS.

Their Sense of CIesnliness-Csrs Of Their
Dead-A Lite of Labor. Hardship and
Strife-Fightins In siHgls Combat
Bloody Battles.
In spits of the multifarious duties and
tasks that are imposed on these tiny burghers
tbey sin find time to clean and adsrn their
worthy little persons, No spot, no atom Of
dust or anything else unclsanly will they
tolerate on their bodies. They get rid of the
dirt with the ti1i.hy tufts on tasr feet or
with their tongue. fhsy act, FOR vi the
world, like domsatis cats when tlsy clean
and Il q Themselves; and they assist one AL
other at the toilet precisely liks monkeys.
Their sense OF cleanliness goa. 80 far that the
| naturalist often finds, to his unpleasant sur
| prise, the colorsi marks that he had applied
with so much care on his trial ants removed
| by their dirt hating friends. They keep their
| dwellings just rs clearly.
| But the conveying sway Of their deceased
| brethren whcss dead bodies they appear to
| .:i with the greatest antipathy, gives
| ;ht.l more trouble than anything else
| When some momb.ls of an ant community,
which kept Imprisoned, died and could not
be removed those remaining seemed affected
vi the greatest horror. Dor days the IN
scots ran about seeking way out and
ceased only when completely exhausted. Ths
ants belonging to the campouotus species
fSe:lci lle dead and threw them into IL water
pail, which they converted into a sepulchre.
| Ordinarily, though, the ants are said to treat
their dead with more reverence. They even
possess their own grayeyarJs, which lie in the
vicinity OF their nests. They convey their
deceased companions thither, where they lay
them down in orderly little heaps OF in rows,
IIEE OF LABOR
1t Is from a life full Of labor, hardship and
strife that death releases these active little
animals. v hen not engaged in labor they
are busy in defense Sentinels posted i'll COM
manding positions guard them from sur
prisas Of every kind. As soon as danger is
threatened the citizens of the state, at the
alarm signal of the piel1ets, dart ont Of their
habitations. From nocturnal dangers their
houses protect them, since they barricade the
entrances with leaves and little sticks. And
that is accomplished, according to Mr.. Cook,
in the following manner: The large workers
first drag up heavy material, and, having
placed it in pa. .-ion, dipappear in the inside
| of the nest. Then the ants of medium size
follow with material corresponding to their
strength And finally the smallest members
of the community bring up grains OF sand
and fragments of earth to complete the barn..
cade.
The doors are closed behind them until the
dawn of the next day, and then the exit oc
curs in reverse order The small ones art
the first and the large ones the last of the
column.
But ants are not merely acquainted with
the earnest side of life; they are susceptible
to its Joys and amusements as well Just Il:
kids In the wantonness of youthful spirit:
challenge one another to mimic combat IL
the meadow, so do the else so industriou:
emmentS. With feelers and feet the combat
i've individual urges on its companions unit
they accept the challenge. Standing on theil
hind feet they grasp each other with thu
front ones and apply rapidly both head ant
jaws. Then they let go, turn round and tax,
hold again, like boys wrestling After hav
ing satisfactorily tested their respective
strength they separate peacefully.
FIGHTING IN SINGLE CoMBATS.
When they fight in earnest the result of tn
, { y
antiquity, the sinFic coniSats take place m
der The eyes OF the opposing armies. Other
wise and especially when far away from III
nest the hostile ants avoid each other or th
, weaker surrender at dis rctinn. In the fac
Of the embattied armies however. where the,
find support, the advegSaries rush upon ca
other furiousiy. The a,,teHIp are throw
back and the jaws widely opened Am
biting and stalliag the desperate scuffie goe
on. Then there is pushing against on
another a showing backward and forward
hurting to the ground and a rolling over on
another until at last one of the combatant
succumbs, or the duel remains undecided
, ending with the complete exhaustion of tn
, antagonists The secretion of the pOiSO
glands, the well known formic acid, serves a
missile weapons in battle, the jaws for griI
ilhg and striking and the sting for stabbiEg
These battles of the ants are otsinatt
fought and bloody in the extreme. Differ
ences In regard to territorial boundaries
th!evish forays and invasiOrs for the purIoS
of procuring slaves are generally the caSll
belh. While the battle Is in progress column
: Of troops are constantly coming and going
, transporting prisoners or bringing up re-eT
forccmeEts. 1t is not rare for battle to las
an entire lay, and whole armies are SOM
times auni.iatcd, so that innumerable budic
Of the dead and wounded cover the field
: Specialist Cook il The Cosmopolitan