Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-02-12
LESSONS FROM ANTS.
The Wonderful Things These Little Crea-
lures Are known to Do.


1t Is pleasant to be assured by natur-
alists that all the little torments we are
familiar with in the insect world are of
the greatest Importance to man. Nat
uralists tell us we must endure with
philosophy the bites of mosquitoes,
while we reflect that mosquitoes render
stagnant water pure, and SO prevent
much disease Spiders eat flies, and
Aies, believe, eat something else more
undesirable. What can that be, won
der2
And ants?
Well, an ant is one of the most serv-
iceable insects we can talk about. In
the first place, the ant is great educa-
tor. She is proverbial for giving les
sons in industry. patience and helpful
ness. We listen to her while she speaks
of providing, in summer, for the win
ter. She means we should lay by
store of knowledge for the days when
we shall have need of it. When she
drags beetle through hole only half
the size of its body, she teaches us not
to be discouraged if our first attempts
do not invariably succeed. And when
crumb of bread over a peb ole, we I'M
derstand her to observe that the small
est of US is not too small to help some
one else.
Besides her value as a moral lecturer,
the ant is of some substantial benefit
as well. In hot countries, where ants
most abound, and where they are con-
sidered the greatest pests by the in
habitants thereof, they make them
selves of use by devouring every dead
thing-animal or vegeta ble-which
they find. Bird, beast or insect, plant
or tree, it makes no difference to the
ants. We are told that in some cases
their voracious appetites do not allow
them to wait until the unfortunate
creatures are dead. They fall upon
and devour living ones.
OF their value as scavengers many
stories are told. Once an American
naturalist, travelling in Tasmania,
wished to collect skeletons of snakes.
So he killed his snakes, and left them
on the ground, under hot sun, and
near an ant-hill. And the hot sun and
the hungry ants did the desired work
so well that after few hours he col
lected his skeletons, scleaned and
bleached.
The chasseur ants Of the West Indies
have wide reputation as house-clean-
ers. It is not stated whether they car
/ ry on their business at regular seasons,
but we are informed that when an army
of chasseur ants is seen approaching a
town, the inhabitants of the town
empty all their closets and drawers,
leave them open, stand the front door
ajar, and abandon the house.
Then the ants enter the place Sin
regular armies, and in uncounted
millions" Filling the houses from top
to bottom, they destroy in it every liv-
ing creature small enough for them to
overpower. In these tropical countries
many disagreeable small animals and
insects infest houses-rats, mice, spi-
ders and flies, cockroaches, wasps,
scorpions and snakes, and dozens of
other creatures. The ants do not leave
| one Of these small things alive to relate
the story. They make clean sweep of
everything. And when the ants
have eaten whatever is eatable. and
! cleaned every house thoroughly of all
impurities, they take up their march
for the next town on the list. Then the
inhabitants of the cleaned-out town
joyously return to their renovated
homes. They shut up their closets and
drawers, with the agreeable reflection
that after such a thorough cleaning the
house will not want another overhaul
ing for at least year.
Sometimes I wOnderif these chassel1r
ants could not be trained to do their
housekeeping when housekeepers
wanted it done, instead of when they
felt inclined to do it themselves. If such
training were possible, the ants might
be imported by some enterprislng Yam
kee, and would meet a longfelt want
in America.-Eva Lovett Carson, in
Harrar,s Yor1ncr Daorla