The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-26
A ANTS RESEMBLE MEN
MUCH THAT IS HUMAN ABOUT THESE
LITTLE INSECTS.

Eating and Workinw-Some That
Are Above Toll -- Distinctions of
Glass In Their Burial Places.
There ID a lot that Is human about
these little ants" writes Harvey Suth
erland In Ainslees. "They like to play
and cut up. They make believe to fight,
and when they wrestle in fun they roll
all around like schoolboys. They wash
and brush each other and stretch out
under the process as much rs to say
My, that feels goodv When they sleep.
they often lie ON their sides and some
times squat down on their abdomen
and the last pair Of legs for all the
world like nan taking nap. When
they wake up, they cape and stretch
themselves and all but say. 'IIo, hum
They always wash themselves and
comb their hair as soon as they get up.
"They are like us In keeping pets
about the house. Andre counted ISL spe-
cies of insects. nearly all Of them bee
ties, that are kabitually to be found in
ants nests. They must be there with
their consent, for an interloper Is In
stantly killed. Some OF them are milk
cattle. like the aphides, such as cater
pillars that give sirup and the little
blind beetle claviger. which secretes
honey from q 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 it at once. Some
kinds of wood lice are kept as scaven-
gers, and the sllverfsh or bristletail
and the larya OF the elater beetle are
handy to 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. y
lomechuSa of their nest came up and
nuZzled them until they fed 1t. After
ward it climbed up on the lump of sug-
ar, but did not seem to know how to
get the good Of it for itself. But also
there are pets about which are as use
less as a pug dog. If another such a
thing in the universe can be lima gined.
The little Stenamma westwOodii pranks
about In the hills of Formica rufa and
| Formlca pratensls. 1t runs along with
them, jumps on their backs and takes
ride, and If tor any reason the nest
is removed it goes along.
Then there is another little ant IN
these nests that is by no means a pet.
1t digs its galleries in the partitions so
small that the big ants cannot get In
to kill them. Every once in awhile a
Salenopsis fugax darts out. snatches
up a 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
horrid banquets behind the plastering.
''But IL we begin calling hard names
we might as well keep it up and admit
first as last that all ants are cannibals
and feed not only on other kinds OF
ants, but even upoE their own species
when they are not OF the same house
hold. They capture and carry off the
eggs. larvae and pupm of other nests,
and what they do not have for dinner
today they fatten for tomorrow. 1t Is
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 until the approving workers
of the captors began to talk to each
other like this: That fusca Is a handy
little thing about the house. Seems
kind Of pity to kill her when we've got
SO much fresh meat on hand and right
In the busy season. when help is hard
to get. She's so good to the children
too. Let's keep her awhile. What do |
you. say? And then when it was de- |
cided to put off butchering day they |
went to the fusca and said: 'Fusca,
we've concluded not to kill you for a
spell yet. You can stay around and
do up the work, but mind, IL there are
any complaints about you or the chill
dren are neglected or you give any of
-FOUR back talk-wel1 there1l be fresh
y
"And the fusca dropped a courtesy
and made answer: 'Yaiss, missy. Tank
yo', missy. Ah'll do de bes' ah kim
1t Is almost needless to say that +.
fusca Is black ant.
"F. sanguineas can do their own
work and often do not keep slaves at
all, but they are little thought of In ant
circles. The real nobility and gentry ,
are Polycrgus rufesccns and Polyergus !
lucidus Work? They work? No. in.
decd! You don't see them dcmeaning
themselves building and mndng chill.
dren, collecting food or even feeding
themselves, if you please. When the
nest Is changed, they do not set foot to
the ground They are carried by
slaves. They have always been accus-
omed to having help about the house.
But they can fight. Their mandibles
ire iii only to crush other ants heads.
Ants have cemeteries, and It Is char.