Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-04-22

their aristooraoy, and also indulge to
excess in Intoxicating liquors.
Ants are divided into three classes
males. females (or queens) and neuters
tworkers). The two former are winged,
and their sole duty in life il to multiply
oheir species. Immediately after pairing
the male ants die, and the queens, re-
nouncing the pomps and vanities Of this
world, henoeforward devote themselves
to tho duties Of maternity. To the lot
Of the neuters falls all the work. Some
Of them are told Off to wait ON the
queens. whom they feed and care for
with the greatest attention. Each batch
of eggs. as soon as they are laid, are
carried away aud deposited In the hatch
ing chambers open to the rays Of tho
sun. The workers nurse the ant babies
when they appear, putting them in the
warm upper galleries by day and re-.
moving them at night into the snuggest
lower chambers.
After several months careful nursing
and feeding, the larva passes into tho
pupa stage. and spins itself into a 90.
coon, from which it energies q full
grown mt. 1t is these cocoons that are
sold as ''ants' eggs;'' the renl eggs arc
80 minute that even the ants themselves
could not pick them up In their mandi-
bles were not several fastened together
by u natural gum. Queen ants, accord.
ing to Sir John Lubbock, live as long IA
ten years. while DIR. Dallinger states
that worker ants live from four to six
years. The queen ants are treated with
tho utmost reverence, and while tho
corpse Of o worker ant Is usually imme-
diately disposed Of the body of q queen
ia often preserved al long as 10 months
after its death.
The ant has three simple and two
compound eyes, tho latter consisting of
from $50 to 1900 lenses each. In pass.
ing, it may DO mentioned that the ordi.
nary house fly has 1000 lenses. the gad-
fly 1000 and the dragon fly 30, 900
lenses to each ego. Physically. as we'll
as intellectually. ants arc tho giants Of
tho insect world; they can easily carry
ever ten times their own weight.
The ant houses are most marvellous
examples of construction. Part Of tho
nest is above the ground and part below
1t. These houses are often 40 stories in
height, and are built of stones, leaves,
sticks and earth. The subterranean part
is honeycombed into passages and cells
and oil the tunnels and galleries run
Into u common center-the public
hall Of the ant colony. The government
is q republic, and various colonies have
been known to mass together for the
purpose Of defense. A Swiss scientist
has discovered q regular empire Of ants,
covering an area Of 200 square yards,
and containing 200 colonies Or republics
with q population Of 40, 900, 900 ants.
There are many species Of ants which
are incapable Of managing their own
nests or Of rearing their young, and
these in consequence impress into their
service the workers Of other species Of
ants and leave all the rough work to
their oaptives. Periodically the master
ants set of on q slave hunting expedi-
ton. They find out the nest of a special
ant whose aid they need. They raid 1t
and, overcoming it's defenders, enter and
bear of triumphantly the pupm. These
are carried to the masters nest, where
they are speedily matched, and knowing
no other home and forced by instinct
to work they toll industriously for their
masters. So lazy and dependent upon
their willing slaves do the master ants
become that at length they are unable
to feed themselves. Food has been
placed before these lords Of the ant Gre.
alton, and they would not sven take the
trouble to eat. Then some slave ants
were introduced. They tidied up the
place and fed their masters.
The ants have some method of know.
ing members Of their own tribe. II an
ant is put into q strange colony, It is in
stantly killed az an intruder, while IL
one ia taken from its homo and restored
to It after o long lapse Of time 1t is inn
mediately welcomed and recognized.
Sir John Lubbock took IL ants, 9 from
each of two different colonies, and made
them drunk. Then they were all put
back into u Of the colonies. The ants
inspected them, carried away their com.
panions and took care Of them until
they recovered, while the foreigners
were dropped into the water. A large
dead fly was put ON the table, and one
ant Immediately went over and pulled
ct 1t. but found himself unable to
move it. He then went away, and
speedily returned with three compan.
ions, and by their united efforts the fy
was carried away.
Il has long been known that some
species Of ants are In the habit Of acting
in exactly the same manner as man In
keeping insect lows for the sake Of the
milk they supply. The ordinary grean
dy, OF aphiA, 10 to the ant what the
COW is to man. This green fly 10 capable
Of exuding from two nipplelike projec.
tions o sort OF liquid gum, Of which
ants are extremely fond.
A