The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-08-15
THE HONEY ANTS.
PECULIAR HABITS OF THESE CURi.
Gus NOCTURNAL INSECTS.
laying Up Sweets for Rainy Day-Se1ee-
ton of Living Storage Bottles-Tak-
ing Care of the Honey
Bearers.
youths Companion.l


The honey ants are found from southern
Mexico as far north as Colorado, and arel
easily recognized by the tall mounG-like|
structures or nests that they erect.
They are like the owl, almost entirely
nocturnal, carrying on their outdoor work.
at night, although their domestic duties|
underground are probably not neglected.
during the day. AS soon as the darknessI
comes on, they sally out of their sub
terrauean cities, and wander about, climb
ing bushes and trees in search of the food
Of their choice, which, curiously enough.
IL honey.
This will occur to you as an except
tinnal case among ants, as they gener-I
ally, perhaps, as rule, feed apon mate
rial that can be stored up; but here whereI
the food is liquid you would assume that
1t could not be laid by for rainy day, sol
to speak, for the simple reason that thel
ants have no tanks, tasks or bottles toI
hold the supply, nor the ingenuity toI
make them. Let us not say, however.
that they have not sufficient intelligence
to find substitute, as they certainly
have.
PECULIAR FORMATION.
If we examine one of these ants, wei
shall find that the abdomen, or rear
larger portion, is protected by ten plates
are connected or underlaid by very deli
cate membrane almost like rubber, they[
can be stretched apart to wonderful de-
gree, allowing the abdomen to assume theI
appearance of tiny balloon four or fiveI
times its normal size The ants also haveI
a crop that is capable of great distention,
and governed by sets of powerful MUSCLES
in other respects they resemble ordinary
ants.
Now by some arrangement, whether by I
agreement taking their turn, or by force.
is not known. certain ants are selected byI
the others as living bottles; in other
supply brought in by the rest, and retain|
it. When the foraging ants return, thew
have their crops filed with honey, and
proceed directly 10 the bottles.
Placing their mouths in contact With
that of the unfortunate living receptacle, byI
contraction of the muscles mentioned, theI
contents of the crop are forced out and
into the bottle. Ant after ant unloads inl
this way, until the elasticity of the recip-
lent is tested to the utmost, and it can re-
ceive or hold no more.
THE HONEY-BEARERS.
The insect is then absolutely helpless.
The crop and abdomen have expanded
until it resembles an amber-hued sue. as
we have seen, the size of q currant, the
head and limbs having almost disap1
peared, hanging upon the side like al
stem, while the other organs within the !
little creature are so pressed out of shape
that it is with the greatest difficulty they
are traced.
Loaded down in this way, and surfeitedI
with sweets, the bottles are naturally F
powerless, and that this is appreciated
by the others is evident from an examina-
ton of their nests, when it will be.
found that the honey bearers are
given a separate room and there
tended with the greatest care
They are, perhaps, placed there before
being filled, or carried in later; but iu}
any case they are found together in sep
arate apartment, hanging from the roof,
to which they cling with their limbs. and
appearing like ripe fruit suspended from
invisible vines.
This, then, is the pantry, or store
room, of the honey ants, and here is kept
what corresponds to the winter store of
other animals. When the other ants are
hungry they proceed to this room and
lick of Che drops of honey that by muscu1
lar contraction are forced out by the
patient and never hungry living bottle.
The nests of the honey-ant are eagerly
sought after by the native Mexicans, and
the store houses pillaged of the bottles
that arc served as deliGacies by them.