Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-03-02
Texas Ants.


Last summer, In July l believe IL was,
while lying In the shsds of large pecan
tree noticed small family of sphides on
the leaf of cotton stalk, and was not q
little surprised moment later on seeing a
large red ant with black head and long legs
emerge from the under side of the leaf. ]
soon recognized him as one of the we'll.
known pastoral ants (hypoclinessl, indus
trislly the lowest of the ant family, and
which lead lonely life, like the old Syrisc
shepherds tending their pigmy cows. On
the same leaf noticed fellow herder
who was tending still smaller fl ock. Both
went about from time to time and gently
stroking with their sntenne the two tube
like protuberances on tie abdomen Undue.
ed slight flow of that sweet liquor, the
honey dew of the apir. Thss4 crystal
beads of honey they dexterously licked of
before they fell on the leaf and quickly
hurried away to repeat the same milking
operation on another sphide.
The sssscity of the shepherd ant Ia only
rivalled by that of the farmer ant. also a
native of far western Texas. These remark
able insects, according to some writer's.
plant each year q crop of ant rics, a cereal
seemingly originated by SENS formic sgr.c-
ulturist in by gone ages, and when the
cropis ripe they gather it into subtsrranesr
gransries, always reserviug q store for
planting.
Somewhat resembling In occupation the
farmer ant, Texas can bos - many colonies
of the umbrella CT leaf-cltting ant, SO com
mon and destructive In Mex ana Central
America, In the latter countries they are
quite destructive, often destroying large
trees, and thsir depredations have to De
guarded sgainst by mesns of woollen fillsts
wound about the trunks of the trees. Many
notions, wholly without foundation, seem
to be current concerning thess strange little
psstr. Their method of operation, so far
as ! have observed in Fort Bend county.
lie to strip only the smaller trees and
shrubs. The leaves are not Gu. into disc
shspsi pieces, as commonly supposed, but
In any form that suits the artistic fancy of
the ant. To facilitate progress to and from
the lssf-cuting grounds and nest, the ants
construct or clear broad, smooth roads.
oftan as much as 200 yards In length and
from six to eight inches broad. These
roads display considerable engineering
skill, sb1unding In curves, grades, and
even tunnels. The leaf cutters seem TO be
the most industrious of all the ant fsmily;
big, little, old, and young seeming to be
animated with an almost insane desire to
do their share Of the work. Nothing
could bs more amusing than to sees little
fellow, not more than the fourth of an inch
long, hurrying msdiy along with q huge
leaf dexterous:y held in his msndibles
The nest of the umbrella ant Is q very
poor affair, and bears about the same rela-
ton to the neat tunnel of ths fsrmsr ant
that the hovel of tbs squstter does TO the
substantial home of the prosperous farm
er.
Any rude hole of hollow log serves the
leaf gatherer as q storeroom, where he puts
away his hotbsd to hatch out the egys de-
posted by the female. The leaf cutter is
thus the original inventor of the incubator
although his rights have never bsen recog-
nized by letters patent.