Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-08-07
UMBRELLA CARRIERS.
Ants, Sea Urohins and AnemOnes Acct
Sunshades.

Sunshades.
lone of the most interesting sights
have witnessed, remarked Il naturalist to
group of listeners, was an army OF ants
marching through n South American jun
gle had been out all day hunting but
f0rllies with a native guide, and almost
overcome by the intense heat had stretched
myself ont beneath great mass OF vines
which hung from large tree, when 1 no
ticcd a column of ants moving along at
my feet
"rhere was nothing remarkable in this,
as it was an ant country, where they liter
ally ovcran everything, but these ants, as
though recognizing the tropical heat, each
bore highly colorcI umbrella in such a
position that it was more or less shield
and protection. The umbrella was bit or
leaf that had been carefully bitten out
in a semioval shape, and was an umbrella
in fancy only, hundreds being carried to
line subterranean nest deep in the heart
of the jungle.
Zone Of these nests, continued the nat
uralist, " found by following up the
train and saw the saubas, as these ants
are called, pouring into it, each holding
the umbrella, which was about as large as
a 10 cent piece vertically, resembling sol
diers raising banners.
"Thcre were three kinds of ants. Those
who carried the leaves were laborers, but
not workers, and they merely deposited
the bit of leaf in the nest, where it was
taken in hand by another kind of ant, the
skilled carpenters of the tribe, who placed
the leaves on the wall as u matching and
covered them with globulcs of earth. Some
of the nests built in this way are feet
l. D Il ton rsrrrnIa
Of constructive ability"
Among the marine animals are many
that construct over and about themselves
coverings which might not inaptly be
termed umbrellas This is particularly
noticeable In the sea anenones At times
they arc FREQ and unincumbered with for
eign objects; at others they are completely
covered with plates of sand, which they
take from the ground about them, or bits
of seawecd, which forms more or less pro-
lection or covering.
When tho anemones desire to assume
these countless umbrellas, they bend over
their tentacles and touch the ground, many
bits of shell and sand adhering. These are
lifted up and placed upon the sides Of the
creature until finally it appears to be COW
cred with n mosaic which, while a protec
ton, serves as a disguise making the 9th
erwise conspicuous animal resemble the
rocks about it.
BY far the most interesting animal pos
sessing this habit is the sea urchin that
looks like a pincushion, being covered
with long or short slender bristles accord
ing to the species. How the sea urchin,
with its stiff spines, can lift scores of mi
mute stones and bits Of shell, distributing
them over its body in such numbers that
collectively they form an umbrellalike COW
ering, would appear mystery which, how
ever, is solved upon an examination of the
urchin. The spines are not the only or
gans, but from among them rise two other
suckers with little disks attached to them,
and other organs that have long stalks
upon the end or top of which is perched a
little fecler with three biting teeth. These
feelers, stationed on the lower part of the
urchin, pick up particles of sand and shell
and pass them to others higher up, and so
by continued passing the piece Of shell
travels up to the dome Of the animal and
there finds place among the spines This
is repeated an indefinite number of times
until the urchin is completely covered by
a strong umbrella, poised, as it We're, upon
the spines, affording more or less protcc-
ton. Sometimes the animal disdains one
of shell or stone and spreads over itself a
canopy of weed a ribbon Of green zostera
or one Of brighter hue-a decoration more
or less aasthetic EXCHANGE