The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-05
ABOUT THE ANT LION.
a Curious Chap Sometimes Called
the Doodle Bug.
An Ohio Boy Enlightens Milford, Pa,
in Two Minutes About q Mystery That
Had Puzzled the Town for Years.

An ONO hoy Enlgntens MILFORD, "a,
in Two Minutes About q Mystery That
Had Puzzled the Town for Years.
As long as any one can remember
there has been a small funnel-shaped
hole in sandy spot between the roots
of great pine tree. that stands ut the
side of sheep path leading from a
Milford back street down to the pic
turesque Sawkill Glen. The hole is
well under the high bank. and pro-
tected by the roots of the tree. 1t would
not be noticed by the stranger. unless
me were naturalist looking about for
just such a sight. But its existence is
well known to the urchins of the vii
lage, VINO long ago ceased destroying
it, as it regularly appeared in its old
place after few days. The reappear-
ance of this funnel in the sand after
being demolished was for years myS-
terry in the village. as no one had ever
discovered the cause of its existence.
Thirty years ago the army of the Mil
ford small boy was increased by the
addition of member from an Oh o
town. This new member was in due
lime taken to see the mysterious
hole in the sand under the old pine
4ree.
why" said he. that's doodle
mg's hole. There's lots of 'em in
Ohio.
Then the new boy got on his hands
and knees, put his mouth close to the
top of the funnel. and told one of his
companions to watch the bottom of the
hole. Then in low, buzzing. hum
ming tone he said:
"D-O-o-o-dle, d-o-o-o-dle. d-o-o-o-
,dle!'
By the time this had been repeated
gan to move, and the two formidable
look ng horns and the upper part of
hairy head rose in sight from beneath
the sand. Having brought about this
astounding revelation to his compan-
ions. the boy stuck sharp stick deep
in the sand, and, prying it carefully,
brought up fierce-lOoking bug. Sc
nearly the color of the sand in which it
had its home that it would not have
been detected by any one not aware of
its presence.
That's doodle-bug." said the boy
from Ohio. as his companions looked
on in open-mouthed astonishmen:.
They are called doodle-bugs, because
when YOU sing doodle over their hole
they think it's fly or bug of some
kind buzzing around. and they come
up to be ready TO catch it in case it
falls in the sand-hole But they like
ants the best.
And that old pine tree has been the
aoodle-bug pine eEer since, and the de-
scendants of that queer bug are still
diving in the sand at its roots, and
their like has never been found else
where in this region.
IT Is THE Ant LION
The doodle-bug of the Ohio boy of
thirty years ago is the rare and curious
insect known as the ant lion. 1t grows
to be about five-eighths of an inch in
length. Its body is shaped like 4 gigan-
tic and very plump applc-seed, and is
Tinged and woody. 1t has two jaws that
give it very fierce look. They curve in
ward like pincerS. 1t can move for
ward, and only very slowly backward.
When ont of its lair il is the most help
less of creatures. and it would starye
10 death but for its cunning and skill.
1t is so savage and Notwithstanding
that no insect it might eat will come
near it, and it couldn' move to capture
one if hundred were within an eighth
of an inch of its horns. The ant lion
would even starvc to death if heaps OH
heaps of the fattest ants or flies were
killed and piled where it could get ut
ahem. for it will never feed on any
prey it has not itself killed. And so
the strengthened. Notwithstanding
bug looks out for itself by digging 4 pit
for his prey.
To do this the ant lion selects sandy
place and goes TO work. 1t uses first
one of its forelegs as a shovel. excavat-
ing very rapidly and placing the dirt
on its head. BY quick jerk of the
mead the dirt is thrown several inches
away from the pit. When one leg gets
tired the other is brought into service
as n shovel. and thus the work of max
ing the funnel-Shaped hole goes on. a
constant stream of sand being kept fly
ing in the air from the catapult head
of that industrious worker The circle
of the hole at the top is always meas
ured with geometrical precision. and
the insect works round and round it
digging on all sides, so that the exca-
walton is symmetrical. The top of the
funnel is about three inches across. and
at is graduated so that at the depth of
two inches the bottom has come to a
point. Frequently, as the work is be-
ing done, small stones are encountered
by the ant lion. Then the work of pro-
cedure is reversed. The insect digs
and works about the obstacle with the
extremity of its ringed and flexible
body until the stone is loosened and
worked upon the ant lions back. The
many rings and the hairy surface can
be so dextrously manipulated that the
stone is balanced there while the insect
climbs backward to the top of the hole
with it when by sudden jerk the