Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-28
AeslcA's WHITE ANTS.
mild structures Of Clay In the Tree,
NC and ON the Ground.

mild structures OF Clay In the Tree
jug and on the Ground.
rha white ant IL blind; 1t has man,
mics and can never procure foot
III, II comes above ground. How doe.
live the difficulty? II takes tn,
onnd out along with it. have seer
,hite ants working on the top of 1
iGh Tree and yet ii was under ground
rhev took up some OF the ground witt
mem, TO the tree top; just rs the Esqui-
oux heap snow mp, building ii into
10 ,oU tunnel huts IN which they live,
Tho white ants collect earth, only In
h. ease not from the surface, but from
m depth underneath the ground,
4 master if into tunnelcd ways. De
asionally these run along the ground,
~ more often mount in endless rami-
cation to the tops of trees, meander-
~ along every branch and twig, and
ore and there debouching into large
,vered chambers which occupy half
he grin Vi tic VI uhh. NhiliioHS vi
oes in some districts are thus fantas-
callv plastered over with tubes, gall
r;es and chambers of earth. and many
oupds weight of subsoil must be
,oucht up for the mining of even a
ngle tree.
Peering over the growing wall one
bon discovers one, two or more ter
lies of IA somewhat larger build, con-
derably longer, and especially of the
andibles. These important-looking
diyiduals Jaunter about the rampant
the most leisurely way, but yet with
certain air of business, as If perhaps
e was tho master OF works and the
her the architect. They are posted
ere as sentries, and there they stand
promenade about, at the mouth of
Iery tunnel, like Sister Ann, to see if
Nv body is coming. Sometimes some
dy does come in the shape of another
t-the real ant this time, not the de-
useless neuroptcron but some val
hi and belted knight from the war
ke formicida. Single or in troops
Is rapacious little insect. fearless in
chitonous coat of mail, charges
wn the tree trunk, its antennn wav-
defiance to the enemy and its cruel
endibles thirsting for termite blood.
The worker white ant is poor. de-.
Useless creature, and blind and I'M
|med would fall an immediate prey to
cse well-drilled banditti. who forage
but in every tropical forest in un-
mbcred legion. But at the critical
bment. like Goliath from the Philis-
les. the soldier termitc advances to
fight. With a few sweeps of its
Ethe-liEe jaws it clears the ground.
while the attacking party is car
fng off its dead the builders. uncon-
pus of the fray. quietly continue
bir work. To every one hundred
fkers in a white-ant colony. which
(nbers many thousands of individu-
there are perhaps two of these
biting men. The division of labor
Re is very wonderful. and the fact
Y besides these two specialized
pas there are in every nest two
Ter kinds OF the same insect. the
gs and queens, shows the remark
height to which civilization in
se communities has attained
hese mounds are built into mesh
* Of tunnels, galleries and cham
where the social interests of the
immunity are attended to. The
spacious Of these chambers. usu-
far underground, is very properly
2cated to the head of the society.
queen The queen-termite is a
ery rare insect, and as there are
ON more than one. or at most two
colony and as the royal apart
Is are hidden far in the earth few
Pons nave ever seen queen. and |
Fed most, if they did happen to
{ across it, from its very singular
earance' would refuse to believe
II had any connection with white
Her one duty in life is to Law
and it must be confessed she |
'iafges her function with complete
ess' Tor in a single day her pro-
oltcn amounts to many thousands.
~ BAL Gazette.