Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-01-08
THE ANTS BRAIN.

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Ants have \ language lar superior tOlu''
Of binds, dog, apcs OF any Of the higher
animals Of the geological Kingdom. Have
they - spoken language? Tn" probability
l. that they have, Tor their anatomy shove
the presence o: striduIent organs that seem
to possess no other function. Bat they
communicate their thoughts principally
by mc1us Of their a%ntrnna
For an example, disturb the ants above
Il nest. Immediately a body Of them rush
wildly into the corridors, spread the
alarm in the community. and in the twink
ling of m eve this little world is in revolt.
While somr OF the workers hasten to carry
the llrv:r and pupn to the most secret re
crsarS Of the establishment, others valiant
" hurry out to rcc1nnOitsr the daRgerIand
and repulse the cr"my. Watch those
turthcst removed from the scene Of nc
ton; how by two or three ruhbings
Of their antenuw they convey to
each other the wild alarm. II an open jar
of preserves "a to he attacked, the first ant.
nv helping herself and making o practical
illustration Of the prOverb that charity
should begin ut home, will leave the feast
to return with four OF five friends, who,
initiating her example. ny first satisfying
themselves, will hasten 10 collect q horde
OF companions, who Immediately yield
themselves over to the pleasures Of tn
hour. lubbock has proven that when
there are Larvae to be carried about the
number of aunts serving corresponds with
the number Of loads 70 he carried.
At times two anti are seen 20 meet.
question each other by their antcnr,r. and
both being Of a mind to g?apple in several
lustv boxing rounds, equal TO mg ~ those
of the boxers 1T orr fairs This feet,
cited by Huber, has been stuiiously in
yestiglted. Again, one is seen trying to
another by means a. ]pantomime, and,
failing to 40 50, resorts to a means shorter
than discussion, by carrying her of on her
shoulders to the point in view.
To believe that they communicate their
thoughts, and that they understand each
other ia matters Of moment, one has hut
to view their architectural works, their
masonry, their carpentry, their care OF the
soil, their working and military org1uiaI.
tons in order to he convinced.
The conclusion arrived at, every time
there is occasion to prove one, is that all
this il the result, not OF instinct, but OF
intelligence.
See their cattle, their milch cows, their
stables. Strange ~ IL may appear, many
Of them own cows that they tend aud milk,
herds that they keep in special stables,
that they consider a. their property, that
they defend against enemie7 and cary with
them when they move from plac" to place.
These herds are composed Of yine-tret,ers
and gall insects. They bring them home
and milk them lay sucking their abdomen,
beirg uOuriShfd exclusively upon
this sweet liquid. They win them over by
feeding them upon spHgs Or roofs, ~ their
mpucr OF lite may he, aud lodging them in
airy pavrlions OF underground passages,
according to their taste.
These little insects constitute then prin-
cipJl wealth, and ~ il farm with its cattle,
20 an ant.hIll with it, pIaut-ljcc is consid-
cred more OF less rich, according TO tbv
number in possession. With what pas
sion they wage war for the possession oi a
yine-fIcttey tree, and with what ludicrows
tenacity they extricate these Insects larger,
than themselves, when they are imbcdGed
in the bark. They persevcC" in palling
them out, but a. they are Garrett not to
wound they do not hurt them. All this,
together with the evident satisfaction the
]lretters show at be NJ MIXED, proves them
10 I've an important element in the domestic
economy OF their owners
Their war, are too well known iOr Us 30
enlarge upon them. Often lerocious and
m.rcilrss, they are wdgcd for the posses
Of the ~lretters and the iury;u destined
to yield slaves. Their military prore-
durus a with different tribes The jaw
Of the great slave, or amazon ant, is very
strong, and armed with sharp. pointed saw
teeth. They attack th@jr enemy by en-
closing his head in their widc.open Jaws
and then wrcnchiGg il of. A smaller
variety fall up their advcrsaries' legs
aud pull them out. Again the TOdus
oparandi Of the t0rmicl eXcesja Is to spring
upon his enemy's back aud in dead earnest
perform the quick job OF saving ell his
lead.
Military tactics, with seutiueIs aud re.
connoiSaucos, siegys according 10 rule,
pillagcd, children carried away, pris.
ouers executed; all that ancient human
warfare pCrtrays, wcsce repeated TO an ex-
aggcrated degree among ants. Some of
them have 80 abused authority and carried
tyranny TO that extent that they have
themselves become the slaves OF their
vassals and cannot exist without them.
Such is the else Of the Amazon ants.
These warriors in brown attire are puissant
and rcdOubted knights whose WlistoCratic
hands have never touched either
wood or hammer, who condemn the
art OF building and the responsible
ties Of domestic life, whose implements Of
toll. the chisel, the saw. and the trOwel.
from long disuse have disappeared from
their laws to he replaced by two terrible
cimeterS tit only for works of murder and
rapine. Their lives are spent carrying war
and devastation among their peaceful
.neighbOrs for the possession Of the valu-
able slaves which 10 them are as iudispens
able rs to the newly born, for being with
ont the faculty OF feeding themselves these
etleminate nabObs would perish with
hunger beside the daiutiest yiands did not
their devoted servitors place their food i'm
mediately within their months.
This varied social organization. with liz
clstes and division of labor, It's towns rs
populous rs London or Paris, in which all
the inhabitants r%ccOgnizn each other, its
feuds between ueighboring cities, its teri!
tories organized and defended, its wars, its
combats, all show an intellectual state but
slightly interior 10 that of the savage hu-
man tribes in the heart of Africa OF the
islands of Oceanica. Ants even have their
grayeyards. Yes, real g~raycyards, placed at
some distance from their cities, to which
they carry their dead. Some tribes of
ants have first-class tOmbs for their citi-
zeus of distinction and head masters and
pits for the common herd. The first are
placed side by side with great care, and
the others heaped pell nell and without
order. Again. l repeat, AL this has been
proven. together with many other facts
too numerous II recall, Notwithstanding
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