The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-09
CLARK UNIVERSITY.
The -Four Days
Course of Lectures
Finished.
LEARNED DISCOURSE ON ANTS.
Elaborate Preparations Be-
ing Made for Mondays
Celebrations.
LEARNED DISCOURSE ON ANTS.

The three lectures yesterday forenoon
finished the four days course at Clark
! University.
The attendance throughout the series
has been representative of the highest
education of America and was the most
studious gathering ever seen in this
country.
Yesterday morning at o'clock Prof.
Boltzmann completed his series of lee
lures on THE principles and fundamen-
tai equations of mechanics" exhibiting
machine to illustrate some of the
| truths eXpounded, and demonstrating
several formulate on the board. These
lectures have been of the most techni-
cal type, such as to be understood only
Dy those well versed in mathematics.
Lhey dealt with the history of mechan-
ilcs and special attention was paid to the
theories of dynamics
AT l0.l5 o'clock, Prof. Cajal~concluded
MS talk on The structure of the visual
coftex IN the human BRAIN His lee
| lures have also been Of a technical ma
ture. dealing with the activity of the
| nerve processes and of the neurons in
the cortex in their relation to the thai
| mis- and other basal ganglia. He told of
some of the methods used in determin-
ing the truth of the theories and used
number of colored charts drawn from
the microscope. The original sections
| under the microscope were placed in the
windows, but it became too dark to see
| curing the lecture, so Prof. Caial has
decided to allow them to remain until
| MONDAY forenoon, when they may be
| examined.
| Prof. Forel delivered his final lecture
at ll.3O O'clock. speaking on ANTS" a
subject which he has studied all his
lie. he began by giving a general ac-
count OF the social organization of the
ant commonwealth. They have the
| most perfect social conditions possible
| TO conceive of, Every one works for the
| good of the community. He told how
| the slaves were captured, and of their
| training. The master ant becomes so
! helpless sometimes that he must be fed
| by the slave or he will die, becoming a
mere parasite on the slave. Slavery of
| all kinds, says Prof, Forel, has this ten
| dency.
He spoke interestingly on the struc-
| ture of the workers, some being nearly
half an inch long. In South America
these ants are sometimes used to sew
up wounds. The ant is made to bite on
] either side of the wound, and when his
Jaws have firm hold, the body is pulled
off from the head and the Jaws cling
in their death grip tighter than threads
| would hold.
He described their migrations and
| their care for the young, and with what
skill their houses are built Their brains
are more complex than in any other
4 form OF animal life, and they are des-
perate fighters. They are able to recog-
nlze different tribe characteristics even
after long time Of separation. Once
Prof. Forel placed number of ants be-
longing to two different tribes In large
i box. They began to fight at once and
a large per cent was killed the first day.
The second day a smaller per cent, and
SO on until the 10th day, when those
that were left had established a new
state and were living tremendously.
i Some time after he placed a member of
| one OF the primitive colonies in contact
| with one of the ants in the box, belong
| ing to the other colony, and a fierce
| fight ensued, showing that ants do not
forget race hatred, though through
necessity they may live at peace with
some of their enemies.
lie illustrated by diagram the Won
/ derful constituencies of the antennae,
especially in the last section, where are
placed the organs of smell and feeling.
| If the antennae are lost, the ant be-
comes helpless. There seems to be a
specialized work among the ants for
some to be carried by others, and to
show the way. They are able to go
long distances, so feet sometimes, with
out any appreciable deviation from the
correct course.
He concluded his lecture by bringing
out the thought that if the brain of
man were as complex, as rich and per-
4 feet in instinct as that of the ant, he
i would be wonderful being. But the
4 brain of. the ant is automatic They are
not susceptible to education. They are
ruled entirely by instinct, which is born
in them. Pref. Forel referred to the
| literature on the subject of ants, speak
ing especially. of DR.. McCook's study
of the ants of Texas and the work OF
| Lubbock.
! After concluding the lecture, Prof
Forel made a few remarks on the mean
ing of the decennial. He said he
thought it to be most happy circum-
stance that so many nations were rep
resented in the decennial week. AL
though people are divided in nation
atty, politics, religion, all are united
In science and all are interested in it,
Science is making International bonds
The past week, he said, is an epoch
making event in getting together repre-
sentatives from many countries to
speak to American scholars He
hoped that Europe would soon return
the compliment and invite the Ameri-
can scholars to visit them.
There is still some doubt about the
full program for Mondays celebration
There will be probably number OF
brief congratulatory addresses by we'll.
known scholars. Several degrees will
be conferred with the ceremony adopt.
| ed by the university, and gowns will
, be worn. An historic address will be
given by Dr. Hall, and perhaps some
others, and a number of congratula.
tory letters, kilograms ard cablegrams
: Will be read The past and future OF
the university will be talked over, an6
some general problems of interest Ii
Worcester will be discussed. The
morning exercises promise to be of ex.
IRENE interest to the people of Worces
ter as well as to the country in general
Extensive preparations are being made
: for the reception to be held Monda,
evening in the hall Of the university
, Elaborate decorations of palms ant
flowers will make the corridors beauti
full. music will be furnished by an or,
chestra, and refreshments will b,
served.
REGISTER OF GUESTS.
81 l. Hat Al -