Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-11
j. p. STEELE, EDITOR.

yental eytremities of the ohrYsalides
few moments, after which they left
them without further disturbance. In
not one of the species was there evinced
a disposition to break the shells. Finally
l crushed several chrysalides until the
juices appeared OIL the surface-these the
ants of each species worked upon Wig
orously until they were devoured or
dragged piece meal into the formentory.
"I placed a full grown boil worm in
the thickest OF q colony of agricultural
ants. The ants ran over the worm, and
a few seemed to give il bite, but they
evinoed no disposition to overpower it,
allowing it to crawl off N its lubberly
kind of way and escape.
Gin the evening of the same day l
visited a strong colony of agricultural
ants, where l had left many chrysalides
of the cotton worm, including many still
rolled up in the leaves. The ants were
found busily engaged cutting the dried
leaves from the ohryssldes, evidently
with the intention of removing them
from their camps and clearing up the
premises, for it is their nature TO keep
everything cleared away for space of
several feet in diameter, not even SPAR
ing young cotton plants that spring up
had already been removed bodaciously,
but the chrysalides which the leaves had
enwrGpped were lying or the ground I'M
disturbed, they being too heavy for re-
movaI entire, and from some cause or
other the ants had declined to cut them
up.
next morning early l visited the field
to learn what the ants had done with the
oh in Of IA nj o.
Many of the smaller species of ants were
out and at work, but the agriculturals
had not yet opened their doors, which
they closed up regularly at night. But
ali the chrysalides were gone, but where
and by what taken l have no idea though
/ rather charge 1t upon toa ls or mice
since these ants do not work after night
fall.
Continued my experiments with the
ants August "a. Offered many cotton
worm eggs to the various species but did
not succeed in having them break sin
gle egg from the leaf to which it was
glued, though they would seize upon the
eggs and carry them off after ] had
broken them loose. l do not, from the
numerous tests made, believe that ants
will break cotton worm eggs from the
leaf-uutil detached they would not pay
the slightest attention to them for me.
al placed many young cotton worms
among the ants. The ants would feel of
them, when the worms would begin
series OF firts and bounds, and the ants
would leave them alone to crawl away.
The sudden movement seemed to startle
the ants-they invariably backed off so
soon as it commenced.
'In my experience IN the cotton fields
this summer l have never yet seen an
ant attacking well and lively worm,
though l have often seen them walk
directly over the worms. The large ant
seldom ascend the cotton stalks-the
small ones that go up appear to be
attracted by either the exudations from
plant lice or by nectar on the squares.
''When have MANNED u worm and
thrown it among the ants they at once
fall upon and devour ii or bear it away
to their formentories. Have seen moth
ing to establish me in the belief that
ants are of any particular advantage to
the cotton planter. So numerous are
they in the cotton fields of Texas that
did they devour the worms, as many
give them credit for doing, they would
soon exterminate the species. No cotton
worm OF the early and light broods would
ShSi icdCn maturity, auu rs d SOuse-
quence there could be no later hroods, of
course. But nature has made some mys-
FERROUS provision for protecting the
worms against the ants. There is some
thing about their outer coverings, per-
haps, that is repulsive to ant-taste. In
my opinion they will never destroy
worm until its outer-skin is broken. and
it is in condition TO die any way. :"
Since these experiments were made we
have every year kept our eyes open to
work of ants III cotton fields, but have
been able to see nothing calculated to
change our opinion as expressed in the
foregoing field notes. We doubt il ants
are much on destroying well insects of
any kind. That they devour large num-
bers OF insects is fact not to be denied,
but careful observation leaves US fully
believing that those insects were either
dead or seriously injured before the ants
took them in hand.