San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-09-20
WHITE ANTS OF AFRICA.
a S'oor Creature, Blind 0nd Uno-ncf-
The Fighting DIen--luecn.

The Fighting Nen-4uecn.
Tho white ant ID blind; it has many emo
mics, md can never procure food until it
comes above ground. How docs It solve
tho ditlicultyr 1t takes tho ground out
along with 1t. have seen white ants
working on tho top OF high treo, and yet
it was underground. They took up somo
Of the ground with them to the tree top;
Just as tho Esquimaux heap snow up,
building it into tho low tunnel huts In
which they live, 80 tho white unts collect
earth. only In this case not from tho SUP
face, but from some depth underneath the
ground, md plaster It intotuunelod ways
Occasionally these run along tho ground.
but moro often mount In endless ramiiicc-
ton to tho tops of trees. meandering
along every branch and twig, md hero and
there dcboUching into large covered cham
bers which occupy half the girth of the
trunk. Millions Of trees in somo districts
are thus Enthusiastically plastcred over with
tubes. galleries. and chambers Of earth,
and many pounds weight of subsoil must
bo brought up for tho mining Of even q
single tree.
Fecring over tho growing wall one soon
discovers ono, two or moro tcrmiteS OF
somewhat larger build, considerably
longer, and especially of tho mGndiblcs
These important looking saun.
ter about tho rampant in tho most lcis-
urrly way. but yet with certain dir Of
business, US If perhaps one was tho master
of works and the other the architect.
They arc posted there as sentries, and
there they stand, or promenade about, ut
tho mouth Of every tunnel. like Sister
Ann, TO SEQ If anybody is coming Some
times somebody docs como In tho shape
u another ant--tho real ant this time,
not tho defcnsclcss neuOpteron, but eono
valiant ard bcltcd knight from tho war.
Ike formicldR Single or In troops this
rapaclous little insect. fearless In its chit
onous coat Of nail. charges down the trco
trunk, its Gntcnnp waving defiance 10 the
enemy and its cruel mundiblcs thirsting
for termito blood.
The woTl;cr white Gnt IL a POOR, do
fcnscless crcatur. and blind and IN
armed. would fall al immediate prey 10
these well drilled banditti. who forage
about IN every tropical torst In unnum-
byrcl legion. But at the critical moment,
like Goliath from the plilistincs, the
soldier tcruitc advances to the fight.
Nish few sweeps Of Us s"ythclil;e jaws
it clears the ground, and whilc the attack
INK party IS carrying of Its dead tho
builders. unconscious of tho fray, quietly
continue their work To every hundred
workers In a white ant colony, which
numbers many thousands Of individuals,
the7c A., perhaps two Of these lighting
uvu. Tho division of labor hero is very
wonderful, and tho feet that besides
these tvO specialized forms there arc In
rve-v nest two other hiEas ii Tie same
.n--rf the kings an queens. shows the
r.!.1s'..' 20 height to vi ich rivi.lva' ~ b.
these communities l.-s Etta'uC!
These mounds are built into q mesh
work ui tunnels. galleries and chambers
ui-g %. social ir-Hrrzts e 'he crIl-
uur'y arc E.,u-.>l ga. Tie most
aTr..a-Ie % tiy-, gi.Lrl-sr-. USE 'ly tar
lI.i.---v- NJ. = vsry fr.i--lg -i.ylts1
Go tLr - t: tL- -g.-.-v. &c .us,l.
The g-o'u tC-Tifn o. Wy r.rn insect.
arr - tleTu r-s zll-IE r1r1s than enc. ~
% most two. ~ q orlrEv. aut a. the rr-al
aua--lsrts an, hiid flr il tie g.r'h,
f.y rg--s.rs have J-vrr =ael H gleel. and
ir i,s,3 Iao-t. q they Gil f-T-.u o. cH.la
8a-r-- o.. FIRM - vT-- SINGULAR apo
a-..#. --r-. J rf-aa 'H t-. .vr f'.-' g I'D
rrT r.-.r H---..s Ei'l r-'--7 r--s l..- U-.e
ll-- s- ...a o. o. lsg r.---. E-l1 % ---- =.
..-.-.-a.l SIS 4-.H.---.a E-- --- L.
H.r- .lr' -a a-Ha.--. -- g. O. s.--.a -.-
~ a.-a- .--l-= o. lazy ia.
tlr---Ea- SD G.l.--E