Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-29
ANTS LIKE PEOPLE.

lfldTNGya AlnSlee
There Is a lot that is human about
these little ants They like to play and
cut up: they make believe to fight, and
when they wrestle in fun they roll all
Earound like schoolboys. They wash and
brush each other and stretch out under
the process as much as to say. My. that
feels good! When they sleep they often
lie on their sides, and sometimes squat
down on their abdomen and the last pair
X Of legs for all the world like man tak-
ing nap. When they wake up they
cape and stretch themselves. and all
but say, Ho hum.' They always wash
themselves and comb their hair as soon
as they get up. and that without having
to be told like some little persons
Know, but will not name here.
They are like us IL keeping pets
about the house. Andre counted 5S4
species of insects, nearly all of them
Ieeties, that are habitually to be found
in ants nests They must be there with
their consent, for an interloper is In
stantly killed. Some OF them are mich
cattle. like the aphides, such as cater
p.llars that give syrup and the little
blind beetle claviger, which secretes
honey from a tuft at the base of its
wings. If one of these clavigers is put
into the nest of strange ants they fall
upon 1t and slaughter 1t at once. Some
kinds of wood lice are kept as scaven-
gers, and the silyerhsh or bristletail and
the larva of the elator beetle are handy
tc have around to do the heavy digging
under the supervision of the workers.
Many of these domestIcated animals are
unable to feed themselves. Lespes saw
some ants eating sugar. A Lomechusa
OF their nest came up and muzzled them
till they fed it. Afterward 1t climbed UP
on the lump of sugar, but did not seem
to know how to get the good of 1t for it,
self But also there are pets about which
are as useless as a pug dog, il another
such a thing in the universe can be i'm
agined. The little Stenamma West.
woodii pranks about In the hills of For.
mica rufa and F. Pratensis. 1t runs
along with them. jumps on their backs
and takes ride, and, IL for any reason
the nest is removed. they go along.
Then there is another little ant in
these nests that Is by no means pet.
II digs Its galleries in the partitions Sc
small that the big ants can not get in tc
XIII them. Every once In while Salem
opsis fugax darts out, snatches up q
baby and runs with 1t into its den
where It eats 1t up. 1t is as IL we had
cannibal dwarfs lurking in the walls
and now and then carrying off one of
the children to be devoured at forrid
banquets behind the plastering.
But II we begin calling hard names
we might as well keep 1t up and admit
first as last that all ants are canuibals
and reed not only on other kinds OF
ants. but even upon their own species.
when they are not of the same houses
hold. They capture and carry off the
eggs larvae and pupae of others nests.
ana what they do not have for dinner
today they fatten for tomorrow. 1t liz
supposed that in this way they got into
the habit of keeping slaves. The young
captive ants came out of their cocoons.
and, being naturally industrious, they
hustled about and gave the babies their
nimmy-nimmy when they cried for 1t,
swept the floor and carried in the coal
till the approving workers Of the cap
tors began to talk to each other like
this: That fusca is a handy little ching
about the house. Seems a kind Of q
pity to XIII her when we got SO much
fresh meat on hand. and right in the
busy season when help is hard to get.
She's 50 good to the children, too. Let's
keep here awhile What do you say?.
And then when 1t was decided to put
Lon butchering day they went to fusca
9hd, said, 'Fusca. we've concluded not 10
XIII You for a spell yet You can stay
around and do no the work. but mind, II