Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-13
HE WHILE ANTS oF AFRICA.
hey Build Great Structures of Clay II
the Trees aud on the Ground.

Thewhitc ant is blind; it has many
enemies, and can never procure food
auth comes above ground. How
Doe, It solve the difficulty? 1t takes
DE ground out along with it. | have
sta white ants working on the top Of
shgl tree, and vet it was under
r1md They took up some of the
gomd with them to the tree-top; just
sbc EsquimauX heap snow up, build
hgit into the low tunnel huts in
yAch they live. 50 the white ants col
faelrth, only in this case not from
de surface, but from some depth un-
4 demcath the ground, and plaster it
hD tnneled ways Occasionally
these rum along the ground, but more
ctea mount in endless ramitication to
heops OF the trees, mcaudering along
every branch and twig, and here and
there debouching into large covered
om1ers which occupy half the girth
tae trunk. Millions of trees in some
c%gicts are thus fantasticallyp lastered
over with tubes, galleries, and cham
pNot earth, andmany pounds weight
d11soiI must be brought up for the
q mining Of even a single tree.
FegGng over the growing wall one
Soon discovers one, two. or more ter
mites Of a somewhat larger build. con-
aielaby longer, and especially of the
nndib.e,. These important-looking
Individuals saunter about the rampant
The most lciSmely way, but yet with
alTialn air Of business. rs if perhaps
ono wa, the master Of works and the
Other the architect. They are posted
lHe as SentrieS, and there they stand,
promenade about at the mouth of
every tunnel, like Sister Ann, 10 see if
anybody is coming. Sometimes some
'oiy does come in the shape of another
l'-iho real ant this time, not the de-
hlso.eSs neuroptcron, but some val
al. and belted knight from the war
.5s tnmicidg Single or in troops
-h rapacious little insect, fearless in
y clj'onous coat of mail, charges
TOWN the tree-trunk, its antenn@ way
z defiance to the enemy and its cruel
l4a.0.es thirsting for termite blood.
Hue worker white ant is Il poor, de-
Na'e.e>> creature, and. blind and I'M
| -@ej, would fall an immediate prey
these woll-drilled banditti, who for
a,a about in every tropical forest in
numbered legion. But at the crit
va. moment, like Goliath from the
'-Stncs, the soldier termite advan-
" 20 Nh" fight. With IL few sweeps Of
M~' 'he-l.kc Jaws it clears the ground,
.-l Wuilg the attacking party is carry
-- I'll rs dead the builders, uncon-
@9'' Of the fray. quietly continue
-sI Work. 70 every 100 workers in
"AIle-ant colony, which numbers
many thousands Of individuals, there
~ peihars two Of these fighting men.
az. 0Yi>ipn Of labor here is very Won
s.I'i'' and the fact that besides these
w. specialized forms there are in every
-.'. ."a ether kinds of the same in
r 'ae Sings and queens, shows the
...-.kao.e height to which civilization
- .A''e communities has attained.
.''h mounds are built into Il mesh
.a tunnels, galleries, and cham
~ where the social interests of the
immunity are attended to. The most
Of these chambers, usually far
~ mud, is very properly alloca-
- T. to- head Of the society, the
The queen-termite is very
INSECT. and us there are seldom
.1 one, on at most two. to a
#at "a, the royal apartments
tN.l tar in the earth, few per-
...'e ever seen p queen. and in
#',i. if they did happen to come
from its very singular appear
would refuse 10 believe that il
connection with white ants.
duty is to lay eggs. and il
MESSED she discharges hen
"lth complete success, for il
her progeny often amounts
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