The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-04-15
THE INTERESTING ANT.
FOR ITS SIZE, THE MOST IN
@ELLIoENT OF BEINGS.
SECULAR Comm unltles Living Together
.by Their Own Laws and Customs
All Small AnlmllS Fly
Before an Ant Army.

plotted that it is altogether unnoces-
cary TO enter upon any description Of
its custom and habits It may at once
be assumed that for its size it is the
most intelligent OF all created beings,
We're each particle OF the brain Of
man animated by a vigor and sagacity
equal to that which WHITES the tiny
speek OF brain matter In the head Of
an ant, imagination altogether fails to
picture the result or to appreciate
oven family the wisdom and power
that man would in that case possess.
But even as matters stand. we may
with advantage learn much from the
ant especially from the more highly
organized tropical varieties, including
Che termite, or white ant Here we
see regular communities dwelling to-
gether, governed by their own laws
and customs and exhibiting the spec
tacle Of q nation acting in accordance
with natural laws.
I'm ants bees and wasps. the most
completely organized OF such com.
munities, there is q natural head, not
elected or chosen by vote, but born to
the purple. Among animals that
GOugregate for natural protection and
convenience, such rs horses stays and
elephants there is always a leader;
aIut in this case he assumes the po-
rsitioD by right OF superior strength
dalOr and sagacity.
2n the ant nations. which stand at
Che head OF the most perfect of such
communities the monarchical princi-
pic Is carried out to the fullest extent
We have tho queen, the ruler, and
mother Of the whole; her courtiers,
who attend upon her, the military
class, who may be considered as the
mobiles, who do not labor personally,
Alt furnish the fighting class and are
ready to die in defence OF their coun-
cry. The Overseers, generally larger
and more intelligent than the mass OF
workers, direct the operations chas-
ase the INDECENT see that all is done
with order and regularity and gener-
ally supervise and control the opera
tkOna These may be taken as the
type OF the middle class the merchants
and manufacturers. Then there are
the nurses who take charge OF the
eggs, feed the young, transport the
pupR into tho sun, and carry them
back into the recesses of the city when
rain threatens; and the bulk OF the
community the laborers and masons.
the huntsmen, and cowherds who tend
the insects from whom the ants OBJ.
tain supply of natural honey. Last
fE. there are the slave population. cap
tives in wac, who are the servants OF
the whole community. The result OF
this perfect combination OF labor is
tho erection OF edifces, by the side OF
Whinh mans greatest efforts are In
comparison utterly dwarfed and puny.
The bravest knight OF the days OF
carly romance riding out TO attack
che giants was but II poor creature by
che side of the warrior ant, who will
do battle fearlessly with the largest
and strongest animal who may ven
ture to disturb the peace OF his city,
and who having once fixed his hold
Gpon his foe will suffer himself to be
corn limb from limb without relaxing
mis- grasp, Advantage is taken of this
extraordinary tenacity of grip by
some primitive peoples who, If suffer-
ing from severe cuts, draw the edges
az the wound together and then apply
ants, who fix their jaws one on each
aide of the cut The bodies OF the in.
sects are then nipped OIL, but the
heads retain their grip and form {
perfect fixture until the wound is com
pletely healed. Well is it for mar
that the scheme Of nature did not be
stow upon the ant bulk as well as wis
dom. vaor, and industry.
Even now all smaller animals fly Ii
terror at the approach of an ant army
and if overtaken fall victims to thei
furious assaults. Such an army, wer,
tho individuals no larger than mice
would yet be irresistible. Among
the many reasons man has for graft
tude to Providence, not the least /
that the ant was, not endowed will
bulk in addition to his 'other gifts
The insects, to attain to the full
power OF its intellect reqNlres warn
climate differing in this respect fror
man, who suffers intellectually bot
from the extremes OF heat and cold.
The ant of temperate climates bear
the same relation to tho tropical an
Gays the Saturday Evening Post tina
the savage OF the tropical zone bear
to the civilized communities OF NOR
temperate climes. The ant of tn
villa garden and the red ant of th
woods are but very ignorant savage
compared with the termite for Will
the one inhabits caves and tunnels /
the ground and the other rough hut.
matched with the spires OF the fir, tn
white ant dwells in "a palace far large
I'm proportion to its size than are tn
abodes OF the most powerful MOI
archs Of the human race to that (
their inhabitants.
IL is not only man who may wit
advantage take lessons from the an
the domestic hen would do we'll in or
respect to initiate it The white al
lays SO, 900 eggs day throughout IL
seasOn-an amount that may we
make the hen ashamed OF hor mi
cradle total of three or four erps
week.