Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-04-13
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
INTERESTING MATTERS FOR THE
YOUNG PEOPLE.
A Useful Individual In the Tropics
Who Fight Insects With smoke
Philosophy of Skating-rhe Saw of
Contention.

TO look at the mild. timid ants OF oW
cool climates, which run at the sight
or sound of people. build their humble
nests under stone or the roots OF
trees, and content themselves with
gentlemanly little thefts OF seeds or
grain, or such small matters-to look
at these gentle little fellows, you
would never imagine that there are
some branches of their family, dis
tinct, cousins. which are fierce In the
pursuit of their human neighbors'
goods, so strong and so intelligent that
even grown men are afraid of them.
and sometimes whole villages turn out
to fight them. But it is so. aud these
eyes OF mine have looked upon them
and their ruthless doings.
The formiga, as the destroyer Is
called, constructs a citadel for itself
underground. its only communication
with the world above being by secret
passages. II 1t can find any wood lice
whereabouts il captures and carries
them home. makes yard for them, u
yeritable farmyard. and keeps them
content by furnishing supply OF
fresh leaves every day, just for all the
world as we feed our farm stock. The
formiga is a marauder of its own kin
bred. too. making raids on its weaker
cousins and bearing OF their eggs.
which. in due course Of Matching. be-
come the slaves OF their captOrs
Usually the people of those tropical
regions pay little attention to the do
n ~ Fhn NfgTn FbaaV 90 ~ 4
20 as they list running over the
rooms tables. dishes; they are tiShed
out OF the butter. tapped out OF the
course.
But when these sturdy little fellows
invade the house in swarmS. and a
warm rec6 ption-boiling waterfalls
TO diminish the nuisance. then the ser
vice 0f the ant man becomes necessary,
and he is sent for In hot haste His
stock in trade is an enormous bellows
and a load OF certain kind OF Wood
found in the neighboring forests. AZ
ter stopping up all the openings lead
ing under the house. except a central
one. he eularges that and forms It into
a furnace that will admit the pipe or
the bellows
Then he lights a fire, and with the
aid Of the great bellows forces the
smoke into the ant citadel under the
surface Of the ground. OF course these
are very porous. and when the smoke
passes through them II goes out into
the house above. Then the ant man
leaves an assistant TO work the bellows
and. going into the house. stops up
every aperture and crack that he can
find.
Meanwhile there Is a Wild commO-
ton among these doomed insects.
whose home Is being hombaried with
smoke They understand their danger
with the very first pun that reaches
them. and know that their only hope
is In night They all hasten 70 the
central chamber. whore their precious
eggs are stored. At given signal
from their chief each one seiZes an
egg then all turn in haste into the
garden DESERVING their homes and
carefully stored Of provisions but hold.
ing fast 10 the treasured eggs.
But there before them are cruel
wreaths Of blue smoke They turn and
rush TO another passage The same
thing there. As fOrlorn hope the
poor ants-we can't help feeling sorry
for them after all-run into the old
deserted galleries, or set to work To
make new ones. hoping their enemy
will not find them there nj least
But the ant man IL patrolllng the
grounds around the house As the old
or new galleries are cleared out by tho
brave little ants the smoke penrtratcs
them and comes to the surface In
thin wreath. They are thus betrayed
az well as smOthered. and stroke Of
the spade ends their frantic efforts to
escape
Al this time fresh quantities NJ the
hot smoke are being forced through
their highways and byways. and the
frail bodies Of the formiga are shriyel
ing and dropping along their line Of
attempted retreat. Soon they cease to
struggle. They cannot breathe the
rarified smoke-laden air. The next day
when the soil has cooled or they are
found calcined I'm their once busy gal
leries. their roasted eggs at their sides
Poor little creatures!
But their human victims call the ant
man a blessing.