Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-06-02
A CATERPILLAR oUTWirTED.
Its Cunning No Match for That Of the
Ant.

AsD N~ NANsoA VI Au~ " sAS
Ant.
Il was lying on my back In the shade
Of D maple tree in Central Park one
the trembling mazes of the branches
says a New-Yorker. The lower branch
OF the tree was quite low, and presently
I saw one of those little white caterpiL.
lars that let themselves down from the
trees by silken threads. They spin a.
they descend, and reel up again il they
take it into their heads to go back. This
little fellow was humping along on the
limb at a lively rate, when suddenly it
stopped, and ii a caterpillar can look
scared, this one did. l soon discovered
the A black wood ant, hall as
big q the caterpillar, was coming full
tilt on the limb toward the caterpillar,
and had it's eye on 1t.
When the ant was within two inches
Of its apparently easy prey the caterpil-
lar dropped of the limb, and, releasing
about two feet Of it's silken cable, hung
far out of the reach of its expectant foe.
The ant reached the spot where the cat
erpillar had been, and absolutely fumed,
it was sc ma at being foiled OF its prey.
1t ran fra%ntically to and fro. stopping
every now and then to look down at the
suspended caterpillar, which had curved
its head upward and placidly looked
back at the ant in ~aggravating enjoy
ment OF its furious disappointment.
The ant at last cooled down and went
to thinking. 1t turned the matter over
a moment, and then evidently hit upon
q plan OF procedure. 1t started with q
rush toward the trunk Of the tree, and !
saw 1t disappear as 1t hurried up another
one.
Il awaited further developments with
bresthless interest. for, knowing ants as
well rs I did, 1 felt that the foiled ant
hadn't given up the battle yet. l hadn't
long to wait. / soon discovered the ant
returning down the limb accompanied
by two other ants that it had gone after
in some other part Of the tree. The N
ant ran out again on the branch the cat
erpillar was hanging from, but the two
others disappeared. The ant on the
limb stopped at the place where the cat
erpillar's thread was fastened, and re-
NAMED there calmly gazing down at the
prey so far out Of its reach. l began to
wonder what had become Of its two
companions, but just then my eyes fell
the trunk OF the tree. They were big,
| kIo06y AOAloVos VA = AACW IACy WNIC
moving for business. They reached the
ground. paused a moment to get their
bearings, and then made their way
through the grass and stopped directly
beneath the suspended caterpillar. That
was what the ant up the tree was watt
ing for. The two ants below had no
sooner stopped than the ant above pro.
ceeded to carry out his part Of the pro-
0rAmme they had agreed upOn. He
reached owe the side of the limb, nipped
the caterpillar's cable In two, and be-
fore the poor worm knew what had hap
pened to 1t, 1t had tumbled to the ground
and was pounced upon by the two fierce
ants below. By the time the ant In the
tree had hurried down and Joined its
companions, they had dispatched the
caterpillar, and the three ,lugged It back
to their nest in the tree, and undoubted-
ly hugely enjoyed their ~well-earned
meal"