Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-24
INDUSTRIOUS INSECTS.
Curious Habits q the Agricultural and
ess-Cuttins Aats.


Curious uaStts q the Agricultural and
Les:-Caitins Aats.
Go to the ant. thou sluggar,l; con.
slider her ways. and be wise; which.
having mo guide. overseer. or ruler.
provideth her meat in the summer.
and gs4hercth her food in the har-
vest"
Old King Sol ONION. who wrote this
proverb. had in his country the same
, kind of ants as b i've been discovered
| at comparatively recent date in our
! own land. Before this discovery mod
ern naturalists were inclined to think
the wise man had made one mistakc.
and that harvesting ants did not
exist.
BIT now an obs CRYING traveller pass
ing over the prairio near San A ntonio.
Tex, will come across circular clear
ing,, surrounded by tall weeds and
grass. having not scrap of vegcta-
ton upon them. often for distance
Of fifteen feet. This is tho yarl
surrounding the gate or door to
the underground cites of the Agricult-
ural Ant. Long roads. usually four
| in number. but sometimes seven. lead
from this yard into the rank grass.
which for them is as formidable as any
primitive forest to the early lionccrS
Cpon these roads they construct a
pavement of coarse sand or grit half
an inch thick and often from forty 10
three hundred feet in length. NJ
green thing is allowed to grow upon
their yards except grain-bearins
grass called Aristid1 Ssric,a. but
known in Texts as ''ant rice. Il is
even asserted that the ants SOW this
grain themselves. When it is ripe the
chaff is removed. and the clean seeds
carefully slowed away in their cells.
They also gather oats and the seeds Of
plants in SO large store as to last
till the time of ripening again.
These ants are 50 largo and f,rmid-
able that in Texas they are called the
''stinging ans" and are rs much
dr.alcd as mes: of hornets. But
some naturalists have carefully
examined those formic:lries. rs their
nests are called. defending themselves
as well rs they could from the fierce
assaults of the enraged insects that
swarmcd out upon them.
They found the granaries in stories.
one above another, several inches
long. and about an inch high. and
were Convinced that the ants stored
the seed for food.
AS their pavements would be inun-
datel in the rainy season. they begin
ut least six months before to build
mounds. rising over foot from the
center Of the pavement; and when the
rain begins. the young larvae the
eggs. and some stores of grain are
carried into them. Thus it has been
proved that King Solomon could well
quote the ant rs Il model of industry
and prudent forethought.
The habits of the leaf-cuttin. ants
are even more wonderful. These have
made great .ravayes upon the orchards
between Austin and San Antonio.
There they are called the ''parasol
ant" from their having been seen
carrying portions of green leaves
above their heads. They work only
ut night. when entomologists have
watched them with the light of lam
tern. One writer describes 1.-TWO long
columns stretched from the top to the
bottom of live oak; one ascending.
the other descending, the tree. The lal-
ter column carrying above their heads
circular portions of green leaves. and
seemed like a procession of Lilliputian
Sabbath-school children bearing alof.
their banners.
In some instances we see another
division of labor, for one party of
foragers occupies itself wholly in cut.
ing off the leaves with their sharp.
sicklc-shaped manGibles. and throw
ing them to the ground, while
the carriers only make tie
journey between tho foot of the
tree and the nest The piece cut out
is about the size of a dime. although
not always o perfect circle. These
ants excavatc nests sometimes twelve
feet in diam cter and from ten to fifteen
feet deep. made with an irregular ar
range ment Of cavcrns communicating.
with each other and the surface.
Within the nests the fiber of the leaves
had been reduced to pulp and spread
out into a papery mass. forming usual
ly hexagon cells. These were sup
posed 10 be the livinS-rooms of the
ants. and many contained their eggs
and larvae. or grubs and. although the
paper was SO frail. the ants ran over it
with impuniiy.
They open and shut the gates to
their abode with the utmost care. The
barricade taotheir home is composed
If little heaps of dried leaves and sand.
About dusk. very small ants appear.
creeping ont of minute holes
and bearing away one grain of sand.
Next larger ants carry off b its OF
leaves or sticks. which they drop
couple Of inches from The gate. After
slow procession like this lasting for
some time. there comes final rush.
with the large soldier ants in the lead.
~, ;ol, 80 all oioo,.o.1 aud