The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1888-12-20

uiTec'lIls lit y tut Nnolc SYST Ill
forns an eAccc.l ugly ccm;,! .ca,e.
labyrinth, the cl,w of Which ~ diff
cult 10 fnd, but viii Ii arp2ars To be
perfectly understood by the insects.
From the ness Ia the g,uu"d. and
wherever the pa siees cr - rocks he
surfaces It which are exp sed (tnl
this frequently occurs even IL II c'u-
.lderahl,. distance from ,ha nes y The
roadNays lay which h. ants travel are
always cavetea. These tioroushfares
are IF sufficient width to ALLOW the IL.
sects To PASS freely at ali points, and
upon breakin. lown any 20, ;iun If a
gallery they nay be seen hurrying III
b tn directions.
Whenever their rasslseways are
broken open, some Of the ants 1T once
begin to repair it, and this brings me
to the material used IN building, and
the method of depnsting it. Flbeis,
gathered from dead wood. leaves, etc :.
and mixed with enough earth t. give
it dark color, form the principal por
ton Of their building ma aerial. How
this i. applied was for IL long time u
mystery to- me. for, s'though / had
s-eu many hundred n.sts, it was ~.
unit! December 10 If las. year That |
CHANGED upon one of them upon which
visible labor WAS being performed. l
Was passing Il nest that stood "n the
margin Of IL field on Andr"s, Ahen, at.
tracted by its size, it heing the largest
that had ever seen, measuring SIX
feet in height by four and IL half in
diameter, l turned aside to examine
1t, aud :erceived that circular piece
some SIX inches IN diameter wa, being
hu.lt on one side. Something over two
inches Of the outer margin OF this por-
ti"n had been Completed, leaving n
circular hole in the center. Ou this
portion the ANTS were at work, stand
iny around the unfinished margin as
close together IL. lcssible, without in
terfering with one anuther's m,e-
'nent4. The workers are constantly
changing AS one sappeared
aluher took its place. Upon appear
ing. each AM had its jaws filled with
building material, an,i II. it reached
,hc wall it turned and exuded IL dron
Of mncilagia,u. aid fr IN 'he ahun.
me.:. then wh rl.,d ns';intly ahont""ai
i"posi ed 'ts ii sers .."n II as it lay II
the wall, m,Xi,ly ant molliii. The
m.,s with IT'S jaws This pul, had
II "ut the cons ste,cy f pAilrr ma:,c,
and WAS ,ta,iily m,nli.u'a'ed. forming
wall of about he ihick,-ss If heavy
writing paper Tais Ii h.rd:"s RAPID J,
bus Remain, pl. lie for me tim;
thus the walls um The ex RENE outer
elg. of the newly crect,l p ri ~
could be hen; without II eaklnY. whr Z
IS the older porti ms are lric brittle
As the oritice nn which the an $ wery.
EN- l,yrd grew sln,lIer. fewer and
fe vcr could finl roam, Vet there WAS
nn cr"wdin., Zach ke pho. us ac
Gu toned d.starce from h. fellows
5 one liter a,,ntlitr they dlsap.
.raied, rs | watched, un iii bat "ne
" ,s l,fi T." con.i let. he minute hole
ie ns,n'n2.
Tli"se ants are wy destructive t.
buildings, especially to the eul,ll
hoIses "i th,. negroes, ii when they
have once ,httine,i f. ,thn!d the
h use is doomed l kaew If IL s,n.,i
house IN the neighb ih ",i e n .s,au
that had not been occupied fora year
ar two, that was tw".. ..hiri> d4vnared
by them. Tnere was a nes, on the
roof, supl"ricd 10y The r,fter-, around
which all The shingles h.l dis ,p2earei
while others were much eaten, AMI all
ths posts We're thick y perf,ra.e with
their galleries. Such was the speed
wi h which the ants worked, through
Industry aud numbers. that the er,led
surfaces appeared qn'e fresh, beln.
of nearly the color If neville cut w,.nl.
In. owner "f thi, house inf II nel me
that hs had destroyed every trace nf
he nest many times. ouiy t, ee It re.
bult as fast as the ans could c..n.
vt, uct It.
Elk" Free Pres: Sa uri,y af er-
u "n the NJ nnfa;n q ty team brought
d ,wn $500 pounds Of C nce itr,'i ms
a'.d one bar Of gold aud silver bullion
frnm ti,e Resurrection mine .t M,,n