The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-12

are strictly guarded by the workers. and
are not permitted 20 20 more than foot
quite playful. as i not realizing The tre-
meudous responsibilities which must fall
upon them later. IL ought 90 be- mcn-
toned. by the way. that Marty an of
the princesses who Try 20 start colonies
after the marriage Hight fau DOB the at
tempt, perishiuE from one cause OF an-
other. Mr. McCOok remarks that DO Is
very interesting 10 observe these ants in
the act OF giving baths 20 each other
The operator begins With the face and
mandioles, then passing 10 the thoraN ana
finally 10 the abdomen and legs. Mean
while the insect that is being hutheu cN-
hihits every sign OF the most intense sat
isfactiOn. acting like dog that is having
his head scratched The bath Is admin
istered by licking with the tongue.
There is an allied species of farmer ant
in Florida. which inhahits the pine bar
reus. II gathers ard stores away In gran
aries croton and euphorbia seeds frngether
with those OF various pod-nearins plants.
To these IL adds grass seed and the yell
low pollen Of the pine. Inc SCRIPTURES ln
vesting ants In the book Of Proverbs
mention is made Of the ant which pro
vidcth her meat in summer and gathereth
her food in the harvest
Speaking Of the farmer ants OF Texas,
Mr. McCOOk refers 10 a very remarkable
migration which he witnessed \ house
hold servant had thrown upon the clear
ing Of fOrmicary a quantity OF ashes.
This was disa greeahle enough doubtless.
10 the occupants, but. when chickens ana
turkeys took TO giving themselves daily
dust baths in the ashes. IL was too much.
Workers Of the colony began another eN-
cavatiou at a distance OF about thirty
feet and In due time general removal
OF the community from the old dwelling
TO the new one was begun. The most sur
prising feature of 10 was that some OF The
ants were evidently unwilling % make the
move. But these conservative were com-
PEELED TO join in IL. being actually carried
helpless In the mouths of members OF the
progressive party. while other individuals
in the same procession bore infant ants
and seeds.
Sometimes community of these farmer
ants Will be at peace with its ncighbors.
but usually all aliens are regarded as enc
mics.
Now and then regular wars are prccipi-
tated by The intrusion Of the occupants OF
one formicary into the premises of an
other. The major workers with the big
heads appear to constitute the warrior
caste, and the lighting Is conducted with
battle. being strewn with 'decapitated
bodies, heads and mangled limbs of the
slain. The insects fight tWO-and-tWo In
the fashion of the duello. Otten pair of
combatants win be found locked in each
others arms, both cold and stiff in death.
All the evidences are apparent Of the ac-
ton OF malignant passions-hate. anger,
cruelty. destructivencss. The bodies of
friends are buried, but those Of aliens are
pulled to pieces and permitted to rot on
The ground.
NC " fAi-AftNh ietA-tlAltA anus oA tibh-
ical South America cultivate mushrooms
Their habit of cutting circular pieces from
leaves and carrying them away has been
long familiar, but until recently il was not
known for what purpose they did this. 1t
was imagined that the leaves were intend
ed for food or for nest Innings. These antg
make their nests by cnlarging natural
hollows In the ground beneath logs, stones
or leaves. They chew the bits Of leaves
which they gather and with their saliva
make them into a mass which serves the
colony as a mushroom garden In the
mass the peculiar mycelium of this cult
waited fungus rapidly develops forming
as il ripens tiny mushrooms. The garden
is most carefully attended 10 because
the insects depend upon IL wholly for sus-
tenance. If some of them are confined ana
placed IN possession of few leaves. they
Immediately set about chewing them up
and making them into such a mass az
has been described. The most remarka-
bic part of the business is that they do
not permit any other sort Of fungus to
develop In the garden, II the ants are re-
moved molds and other species Of fungi
quickly grow in the leaf mass but the
ants presumably destroy all OF the spores
of such weeds. ~ The mushroom on which
they live is known TO botanical science as
the rOZites gOnzNlOphOra