Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-03-06
ANIMAL INSTINCT.
CASES APPROACHING HUpraa
lSTELLIGENCE.
asneet OF Training ON the Monkey
Ants That Appear to Th,nk.--a
BIRD That Bniids Houses
and MAKES Gardens.

The education OF tho lower animal,
mas attracted the attention of man from
Time lmmcmorial, the result beino tba,
our humble friends are enabled 10 .,
through variety of performances. T,
olden times animals were trained NO ~. :,
arc to-day. Two hundred years 400 a,
educated monkey was exhibited in Lon.
aon, which, it was claimed, did every.
thing but write and talk. 1t smoked
ana drank like man, and did much nj
.ne work that q man could. Tho
chimpanzee at Central Park sits up tc
tho table, tucks napkin under her Chin
and cats soup with spoon.
In Africa wealthy native wisbing n
astonish an Englishman gave party at
which the lights or torches were held Inv
balloons that sat upon bench. All
went we'll until one of the torch bearers
Tell asleep and allowed the burning brand
10 iaii upon comrade, whereupon an
door OF singed hair and yells arose. and
IN moment the entire force were be.
laooring each other with the torches.
u was asked to point out the most
Intelligent animal-judging from the
human standpoint-I think / should se.
iect the ant. 1t is true that these LITTLE
creatures have not been educated or sent
10 schooi, and we do not know whit
tncy would do under the influenza of
education, but we do know that in their
natural state in their methods of life
.oey exhibit a remarkable resemblance to
man. Ants SO to war in organized
pod'es, and they have sign language,
beyond any doubt. That their memory
Is remarkable is shown BY the fact that
.ney remember individuals of their own
kino Tor over year. Thus, an, ant was
taken from nest and kept for number
OF months, then taken bnck and with a
stranger ant dropped in among tho old
colony. The stranger was Immediately
Killed, while the old one that had been
away was carcssed by the antenne of its
friends. 40
Those who have made a study of ants
must DC satisfied that they have sign
language, and I believe it to consist in
tapping each other with their ante,pm.
Thus ! placed a dead beetle near a nest !:
soon returning ant found it, examined it
weii, and started to tho nest. When
near tilt met friend, and the two
stood for moment tapping each other
with their antennG, when the newcomer
turned and went directly for the beetle !:
the first ant meeting another ant and re-.
pcating the performance, the latter also
travelled for the beetle. After tasting
the new-found game tho two ants re.
turned to the nest, and almost immcdi.
ately there was evidence of unusual
activity. The ants had communicated
the news to their comrades, and the re-
suit was line of ants to the beetle in
very few moments.
In South America ants are known IN
travel long distances in search of food
Ind branch of the Parana River was
tunncled by thcm-a fact shown bv
forcing smoke through. These ants
were not deferred by anything, and like
human army moved on in solid phalanx.
Short streams they crossed by bridging
with their own bodies. This was &C.
complished by lowering themselves from
branches, ants crawling down, and cling
ing to each other, until gradually the
line was several yards in length and the
wind blew it to the opposite limb, over
which the rest of the army passed.
The ants show remarkable intelligence.
If we take ourselves as standard. A
south American species lines its tunnels
with certain bark which it knows will
produce certain fungoid growth neccs
sary as food for the young. Others are
known to indulge in agriculture, and are
supposed by some to carry seeds to Ger.
tain places and plant them, in order to
feed upon them at the harvest. The apri.
cultural ants of Texas have open or
cleared places for some little understood
purpose, from which paths radiate. Other
ants keep certain insects as pets or slaves
and others again for the odor they emit,
while still others are regularly in the
dairy business, keeping the aphidae as
prisoners and forcing them to give up
their milk or honey. The ants are so
solicitous that they build corrals for them.
and so insure new crop every wear.
In the care of their young, the erection
OF homes and all the methods of life thew
exhibit wonderful intelligence. In GER.
tain Mexican ants, and they are foundin
Colorado also, certain members of the
1amily officiate as bottles. The rest of
the ants go to them and deliver up their
supply OF honey or food, and the living
bottles receive it, their abdomens grad.
ualiy swelling until as large as peas.
These strange rcceptacles are hung upon
the wall of special cell, OF room, where
they cling by the feet, and during the
time the food supply is short, or in the
winter, they provide the food for the en-
tire family, givingit up as desired. Such
o remarkable economic measure was
probably never heard of before among
any animals, and might we'll be consids
cred "yarn" was it not well authenti-
Gated.
Among the birds we find some interl
esting examples of high order of intelli-
gence. The parrot, the mino bird, the
bulltinch and raven possesses the. .initi-
alive faculty to marvellous extent, and
it is difficult to believe that they do;not
undertand what they say. Tie parrot
that shouted "Lower awayi" when the
crew of ship were hosting an old lady
aboard, and which resulted in dousing
har horaofh 4 u ~