The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-11-18
HAe,rs OF ANTS.
4ew Almost Human They Are IN Their
Passions and Assessments.

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Hew Alnsst Human They Are In Their
Passions and Amussmsnts.
In spite Of the multifarious duties and
tasks that are imposed ON these tiny
burghers they still find time to clean
and adorn their worthy little persons.
No spot. no atom Of dust. or any thing
else uncleanly will they tolerate on
their bodies. They get rid Of the dirt
with the brushy tufts on their feet or
with their tongue. They act, for all
the world. like domestic oats when they
clean and lick themselves; and they a.
sist one another at the toilet precisely
like monkeys. Their sense of cleanlf.
ness goes 20 far that the naturalist
often finds, to his unpleasant surprise,
the colored marks that he had applied
with so much care on his ''trial ants"
removed by their dirt-hating friends.
They keep their dwellings just as clean
ly. But the conveying away Of their
deceased brethren, whose dead bodies
they appear to regard with the greatest
antipathy, gives them more trouble
than any thing else. When some men,
bers of an ant community, which kept
imprisoned, died and could not be re-
moved. those remaining seemed affect
ed with the greatest horror. For days
the itsects ran about seeking way out,
and ceased only when completely ex-
hausted. The ants belonging to the
camponotus species seized the dead and
threw them into water-pail, which
they converted into sepulcher. Ordi-
narily, though, the ants are said to
treat their dead with more reverence.
They even possess their own grave
yards, which lie in the vicinity of their
nests. They convey their deceased
companions thither, where they lay
them d wn in orderly little heaps or
In rows. ~.
1t is from life full of labor, hardship
and strife that death releases these active
little animals. When not engaged in
labor they are busy in defense. Senti-
nels posted in commanding positions
guard them from surprises Of every
kind. As soon as danger is threatened
the citizens of the state, at the alarm
signal of the pickets, dart out 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 position, disappear inside of tn
nest. Then the ants of medium size fol-
low with material corresponding to their
strength. And finally the smallest men,
bers of the community bring up grains
of sand and fragments of earth to COM
plete the barricade. The doors are
closed behind them until the dawn of
the next day, and then the exit occurs
in reverse order. The small ones are
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 as kids in
the wantonpess of youthful spirits chal-
lenge one another to mimic combat in
the meadow, so do the else 80 industri-
GUS emmets. With feelers and feet the
combative individual urges on its COM
panions until they accept the challenge.
Standing Oh their hind feet they grasp
each other with the front ones and apply
rapidly both head and Jaws. Then they
let go, turn round and take hold again,
like boys wrestling. After having salts
factorily tested their respective strength
they separate peacefully.
When they fight in earnest the result
of the duel Is quite different. As with
the heroes Of antiquity, the single COM
bats take place under the
eyes of the opposing armies. Other
wise and especially when far away from
the nest, the hostile ants avoid each
other, or the weaker surrender at dis
cretion. In the face of the embattled
armies, however, where they find sup
port, the adversaries rush upon each
other furiously. The antennse are thrown
back and the jaws widely opened.
Amid biting and stabbing the desper-
ate scuffle goes on. Then there is a
pushing against one another. q showing
backward and forward, q hurling to the
ground and rolling over one another
until at last one Of the combatants sue
cumbs, or the duel remains undecided,
ending with the complete exhaustion Of
the antagonists. The secretion of the
poison glands, the well-known formic
acid, serves as missile weapons in bat
tie, the jaws for gripping and striking
and the sting for stabbing.
these battles OF the ants are obsti-.
nately fought and bloody in the extreme
Differences with regard to territorial
boundaries, thicvish forays and invas.
ions for the purpose Of procuring slaves
are generally the caoas bslli. While
the battle Is in progress, columns d
troops are constantly coming and going,
transporting prisoners or bring up re-
Inducements. It is not rare for q bat.
tie to last an ent re day, and whole