The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
HeaIthiest Food on Earth
A Picturesque Sight Once Year of Millions
of FLYING Insects.

of Flying Insects.
MARiAvILLE. Ne. Oct -. Once year the
citizens who live ON the sandy plains OF northern
Hancock county have spectacular display Of
swntmng ants6at which time the males and fe-
males Of the hillside colonies put on soft gauze
wings and spend a whole Indian summer day
AT lovemakng in miLair The undulating
plains that reach away from Rebel Hill appear
TO be well adapted TO the growth and nourishment
Of ants. on clay lands where the insects build
their cOnlcal homes Of mud pellets the bears and
hcdgrhogs work sad havoc by pulling open the
ant hills and eating the industrious residents.
never caring II quart or more of earth is taken
into their stomaChs SO long Il good number Of
spicy insects are captured The soil Of Maria.
vile is sandy. and as bears not fond Of sand
as steady article Of diet. the ants are allowed
TO multiply and nip up the earth without rsking
great harm from animals that pruwl OF birds that
fly.
No one has yet been able to predict the exact
date when ants are going to swarm. A man who
can tell to a minute the time when h new colony
OF bees is going to depart from its parent hive Is
all at sea when he brings his wits 10 bear upon
ants. 1t is known that thousands OF colonies
spread over several townships act in concert,
because they all swarm the same day. Whether
they send messengers from ant hill to ant hill 10
fix the date in advance Or whether ii is simply a
matter of ant instinct one knows or is likely
oknow. The fact remains that all the little black
ants that dwell in eastern Maine make up their
minds to swarm the same day which is usually
| the hottest and calmest day Of Indian summer
one OF those mild, purpliSh lazy days that always
comes near the end OF October
SwarmIng day for the ants in 1899 was Oct 23.
Soon after O'Clock the sun came up as round and
req as an AsrHSHaI H., apI@ Ior an hom; or , w."
| sight and hcliotrorc- colorcd haze clurg to tho
h.lltops swaying gently IN III" morning breeze.
had been Tapped up by the heat. The sun came
out so warm that men walked abroad IN !he.r
and windows TO let IN The air Then the ants be,
gan 10 do business. The W, rhrrs winch are I'M
| perfect females that never grow wings tegan 10
drag the gray pura cases 10 the tops Of the hills
placing them where the sun fell hottest. The
hills were olive with scurryinE workers for hours
sun bath the worker went Back Tor another $" by
| 10 o'clock there were millions Of pup~ lying above
ground.
| woods came and gluttcd themselves the un-
| Matched ants without d.m.n shng the numbers
| and without disturbing tie workers. Aftc the
| pupa had lain in the sunlight for an hour or SO
| II cracked open along the top and ont stepped a
gorgeous ant radiant IN Eouzy white wings
| Every ant had four wings. two big ones behind
| 20 serve for spnnakcr and mainsa.ls and two
| smaller ones forward IN place Of ib and hb,op-
cate than the finest silk loukIrr rs Il they had
| been woven from the morning mstS
AZ soon as ulelr EOSSa re- kalIS are uTled, me
ants cast of from mornings Ia earth and fly away
| To hold wedding receptions in midair. As for
be observed the best flyers have but little
control over the direction in which they, can go
They drift about as aimlessly AZ thistle down,
the slightest breath Of wind sending the most
vigorous far oil their course. ON hlltops and
in places where drafts prevail few are found, but
on the sheltered sides Of woods and buildings
| they are massed in necCy clouds So d Use To
intercept the vision,
The swarms Of 1899 were the densest and most
widespread that were ever seen i4 Maine. Men
who were digging potatoes in the fields were com
PEELED TO seek their houses in order 10 avoid the
| pests that MED their eyes nUstrils and ears and
| crawled up their undergarmcn,s causing smait
| ing pains and great annoyance. Horses that
were at work IN fields snoTtcd and kicked all
through he midday hours, and cattle ont at
| of the insect hutdcS that covered their bodies
The stage driver from Bangor came into Chiffon
| with his face and hands covered with blood and
his stage full Of wiuglrss ants lie reported az
the Aurora Post ohic" that big snow Storm was
| raging on Rebel Hill about "rvcll in the after
| noon lie had seen the clouds Of lying ants Mt
| II distance and mistaken ihrm for snowflake.
| by shutdown all the ants Ind Shed their wings
and fallen To- the ground the males 10 die before
| morning, Me frma "s 10 lay eggs for the founding
| Of new colonies In sheltered spots the ground
| WAS white with AM wings Tor several days
| The SwaTmlng "i tie ants puts an cnd L. u new
| industry that has lately Sprunc mp in OTIS and
Maria''Uc. Ire Gr'Cd lhpa, every one 81 winch
| contains an embryo ant, are sold III the uuc% for
| bird food under the ruSlc;dug ramc If ant
eggs. For tw" years past the Rcm,ckS, Ch.cks
| ArChcrS and ECuNr citizens who 1--we near Rebel
Hi have coIlcd considerable money 10y passing
| the autmllS through Wlun"wlng m,llS which sep
| araicd the tGtp4wr i7pm ,hc snrd. The immature
ants e then hakcA IN slow oven todCslruy l. fc
and iu dry the bodies after Nhch they were boxed
up ard sent Ia liuStou Tor sale. Tie Price pad
WIS form IL 10 IL cents a quart making the wotE
| more Profitable than berry picking Sncc the
| Swarmlng the pUpur cases nrr all empty and no
| more ants eggs may br gathered unUl mex, sum.
| ncr