Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-14
INTELLEpTUAL ANTS.
THEY ARE sad TO Be THE MOST IN
1ELLeEN T OF INSECTS.
They Have POLITICAL and Social Organiza-
lions That May BE L'hened to Those of
Man-some Wdrk, While Others Do No
Labor, but Live Sumptuously.

|
tions That May BE Likened to Those of
Man-some WORK, While Others Do No
Labor. but LivS sumptuously.
eco TO the ant tho1 sluggard; con-
slider her ways and be WISE" said Solo
Aon over 3, 600 years ago, and the re-
searches of modern naturalists have
only confirmed the excellence of the
wise mans advice in holding up the ant
as an example for man, for among in
vertebrate animals the ant holds the
same position that man does among the
vertebrate The ant is the most intel
lectual of all insects.
Ants are truly wonderful insects.
They build houses train soldiers, en-
slave ants and other insects inferior to
themselves; they arc capable asricul-
turists for they keep species OF milk
kline clear the ground SOW grain, reap
and gather into barns. They arc social
insects, and in many respects are exam
Piles in miniature of man. They have
their monarchs, pride themselves on
their aristooracy, and also indulge to
excess in Intoxicating liquors
Ants are divided into three classes
males, females Cor queens) and neuters
| (wClkers) The two former are winged,
and their sole duty in life is to multiply
their species. Immediately after pairing
the male ants die, and the queens, re-
bouncing the pomps and vanitics of this
world, hence forward devote themselves
to the duties OF maternity. 10 the lot
of the neuters falls all the work. Some
of them are told of to wait on the
queens whom they feed and care for
with tho greatest attention. Each batch
Of eggs, rs soon as they are laid, arc
carried away and deposited III the batch
! ing chnubCrs open to the rays Of the
sun. The workers nurse the ant babies
when they appear, puttiug them in tho
warm UPPER galleries ~ day ana re-
moving them 1T night into tno suggest
/ lower chaHlbors.
After several months careful nursing
and feeding, the larva passes into the
pupa stage, and spins itself into CO.
coon, from which it emergps Il full
grown ant. 1t is these cOcGUns that are
sold as "ants' eggs the real eggs
so minute that even the ants thenlst -
could not pick them up in their nlandi-
btos were not several fastened together
/ by u natural gum. @ i ants, accord
ing to Sir John Lubbock, live us long as
ten years, while DR.. Dallinger states
that worker ants live from fonr to six
years The queen ants are treated with
the utmost reverence, and while the
corpse Of Il worker ant is usually imme-
diutely disposed Of the body OF a queen
IS often preserved as long as Is months
after its death.
The ant has three simple and two
compound eyes, tho latter consisting Of
from 250 to J., 200 lenses each In pass
ing, il may be mentioned that the ordi-
nary house 0y has 4, 900 lenses, the ga,i.
fly coo ana the dragon fly 20, 600
lenses to each eye Physically, rs W II
as intellectually, ants are the giants CT
the insect world: they can easily cary
even tGn times their own weight.
The ant houses are most marvellous
examples oe construction. Part of the
nest is above tho ground aad part below
it, These houses are often 30 stories III
height, AK! are built Of Stones, leaves,
sticks ana earth The subterranoan pari
is hone ycOltDCd into passages and cells
and all the tunnCls and galleries RIM
into ono common Cenler-thc public
hall Ct the ant colony. Tho government
is Il republic, and various colonies have
been knoN,a to mass together for the
purpose Of defense. y Swiss scientist
has discovered regular empire Of ants,
covering GM area Ct 800 square yards,
and containing 200 cC l3nies or republics
with population Of 10000, 500 ants.
There are many species Ct ANTS which
are incapable Ct mana ing tEeir own
nests or CT rearing lhClr young, and
these il consequence impress INTO tnelr
service the workers OF other species Of
ants aud leave all tho rough work to
their captves. Periodically the master
ants set Off Oh slave h@ntlnS e%pedl-
ton. They find cut he harl Of a special
ant whose all they need They rad 1t
and, overcoming its defenders enter and
bear of riumphantly the par;p These
are carried to tho masters nest where
they are speedily hatched, and knowing
no other home and forced Ey instinct
to work they toll industriou2ly far their
masters. so lazy and dependent upon
their willing slaves do the master ants
become that at length thCy are unable
to feed themselves. Food has been
placed before these lords Of TIE ant Gre
alton, and they would not even take She
trouble to eat. Then some slave ants
were introduced. They tidied up the
place and i9d their masters.
The ants have some meh0 of Know
ing members Of their own tribe. II an
ant is put into a strange colony, it is in
stantlv killed as an intrudur, While II
one is taken from its home and restored
, to it after long lapse Of TINE it Is I'M
mediately welcomed ard recognized.
Sir John Lubbock took II ANTS, from
each Of two different colonies, and n.ndt
, them drunk. Then they were All l0'
, back into one Of tho colonies. he ants
inspected them, carried away their com.
, panions and took care OF them untlI
+ they recovered, while the foreigners
were dropped into the water y lat&'
dead fly was put On the taLlo, AMI oht
, ant Immediately went over and lslleI
, at it, but found himself unable Il
move it, He then Ntnt nwaT, 'iht
i speedily returned with thrte eomraA
IONS and by their united efforts the fJ
, was carried away.
1t has long been known that s0"'
, species of ants are in the b ,lit CI nttln4