The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-21
BUSY TEXAS ANTS.
The LittIe Creatures Are a. Systematic In
Their Iahors a. Farmers.

The little Creatures Are a. Systematic In
Their Labors "a Farmers.
Last summer, in July, I believe il
was, while lying in the shade OF a large
pecan tree. / noticed a small family of
aphideS on the leaf of 4 cotton stalk,
and was not q little surprised a moment
later on seeing a large red ant with
black head and long legs emerge from
the under side of the leaf. / soon rec
ogniZed hin as one of the weli-ln own
pastoral ants thypoclineSi. industrially
the lowest OF the ant family, and who
lead a lonely life, like the old Syriac
shepherds tending their pigmy cows.
On the same leaf l noticed a fellow
herder, who was tending a still smaller
flock. Both went about from time 10
time, and gently stroking with their
antenne the two tube-like protuber-
ances on the abdomen induced slight
flow of that sweet liquor. the honey
dew OF the apir. These crystal beads
of honey they dexterously licked or
before they fell on the leaf aud quick
" hurried away TO repeat the same
operation on another aphide.
The Sagacity of the shepherd ant is
only rivaled by that of the farmer ant,
and also "a native OF far western Tex
as. These remarkable insects. accord
ing TO some writers, plant each year a
crop of ant rice, a cereal seemingly
originated by some fOrmic agriculturist
in bygone ages, and when the crop Is
ripe they gather it into subteraneous
granaries, always reserving a store for
planting.
Somewhat resembling in occupation
the farmer ant, Texas can boast many
colonies of the umbrella or leaf-cutting
ant, so common and destructive in Mex
leo and Central America. In the lat
ter countries they are quite deStruc-
tive, often destroying large trees,
and their depredations have to be
guarded against by means OF wooden
fillets wound about the trunks of the
trees. Many notions, wholly without
foundation. seem to be current con-
corning these strange little pests. Their
method of operation, 50 far as l have
observed in Fort Bend county. is 10
strip only the smaller trees and shrubs.
The leaves are not cut into disc-Shaped
pieces as commonly supposed. but in
any form that suits the artistic fancy
of the ant. To facilitate progress TO
and from the leaf-cutting grounds and
nest. the ants construct, or clear, broad,
smooth roads, often as much as two
hundred feet in length and from six to
eight inches broad. These roads dis
play considerable engineering skill,
Astounding in curves. grades and
even tunnels. The leaf-cutterS seem
to be the most industrious Of
all the ant family; big, little,
old and young seeming 10 be
animated with an almost insane desire
to do his share of the work. Nothing
could he more amusing than 10 see a
little fellow. not more than the fourth
of an inch long. hurrying madly along
with a huge leaf deXterouslv held in
his mandibleS. The nest of the UNI
brella ant is very poor affair, and
bears about the same relation 10 the
neat tunnels of the farmer ant that the
hovel of the squatter does TO the sub
stantial home of the prosperous farm
err Any rude hole or hollow log serves
the leaf-gatherer as a store room,
where he puts away his hotbed to
hatch out the eggs deposited by the
female. The Ieaf-cutter is thus the
original inventor of the incubator. al
though his rights have never been rec
Ognized by letters patent.-GalvestOn
News