Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03
THE CHILDREN's ANT COLONY.
BY Frances Alice Kellor.

| trying perseveringly to amuse themselves
during long. stormy winters day, when
| play out of doors was impossible. At last,
| however. they had come to their mother
| for aid.
| Only for moment did mammals ingen-
| uity fail. Then. glancing at the restless
4 little people and brushing the curls from
| the petitioners hot little face. she sad.
| brightly:
'Shall I go to Miss Arnold's and ask If
| she will give us enough ants for a nest? II
| she can spare us a small colony. we can
spend a part of each day in learning how
| they live and work and play. Would you
| like that?'
| Exclamations of delight greeted this pro-
posal and mamma disappeared in quest of
| the desired visitors. hopeful faces at the
| window waiting her return.
| Miss Arnold was a student Of natural
| history in a college. and kept many Of the
| insects which she was studying at her own
| home Mamma had been science student.
| too, and thus the thought had come to aar
| of teaching her sons some lessons in pa
! tience Industry. energy and perseverance
| by means of these little creatures. the ants.
| while also making the time pass more
| pleasantly.
She has two kinds. and she says You
| may have twenty of each: and she VIII
| come over and help you build the nests this
! afternoon. announced mamma upon her
| return. No more restlessness now! l.
! vanished entirely in the anticipation of the
| coming pleasure
| Very soon Miss Arnold appeared ana a
| delighted company gathered about the table
| for the nest-building. ''Of course, we can
| not have them about the house." explained
| Miss Arnold, land could not observe
| them if we allowed them to make .heir
| homes wherever they liked We will build
nest for each kind. as they are strangers
to each other, and will not live happily to-
| gether.'
With the aid of Frederic, Rob and Elmer,
| the nests were built follows: Two plates
of ordinary window glass We're placed one
| above the other about quarter of inch
! apart, slips of wood being placed around
the edge between them Care was taken
that the wood did not fit so tightly as to
| prevent ventilation. Then a quantity Of
fine soil was placed between the plates. The
| amount being such that the ants could he
| easily observed. A small door was left at
| one end. After the two nests We're finished
| they were placed each upon two horizontal
| sticks. fastened to two upright ones, whose
| bases We're fixed in table. A few inches
| beneath the nest was placed a board. much
| larger than the nest, and with a deep
! groove running all around inside the edge.
This groove was then filled with water
| I'VE use the glass" said Miss Arnold. so
| that you can watch the ants without dis
| turbing them, and when they get out of
I the nest and crawl down or fall upon the
| board, the water in the groove is to prevent
| them from crawling away. When you wish
! them to crawl out upon the table or floor
! you can build them paper bridge. When
| you are not watching the nests keep the
upper glass covered with a pasteboard or
| cloth. they usually live under ground
| where 1t is dark, and so do not feel quite
safe when it is so light in their homes.
| Now will let the ants select their nests.
| You we cannot drive them into the
nest, they must choose it. Frederic, you
| open the box of small brown ants while
| Elmer lets out the black ones upon the
| board"
| Liberated the small creatures began an
| instant investigation running about in
| every direction. You see these ants are
| very unlike in size and color, but not
| quarrelsome. There are some kinds. how
| ever, which cannot live in the same neigh
| borhood without having battles with each
other or making slaves of their neighbors
| or destroying their neighbors' nests. Some
| times these two kinds quarrel. but not
| often. Generally they are so busy that
| they do not pay calls play together.
| There! the brownies, as we can call them.
| since their true name is so long. con-
! gregating and following their queen o.
leader into the higher nest. while the black
! les are becoming content with the lower
one. We will now leave them to become
| used to their new homes
| After Miss Arnolds departure the three
| children could not resist watching their
| small visitors as they arranged their new
| homes, moving the soil about to make
| different rooms and halls. and selecting tho
| darkest corners for their storehouses and
| nurseries. Soon, however the nests were
| covered over and the children did not look
| at the ants again until late in the alter
| noon, when mamma was able to be with
| them. The ants then seemed quite content
| in their new home.
Thoughtful little Elmer soon became abb
/ sorbed in what was going on in the nest.
| and after pause said: Make de big ant
| do somping: she's lazy pointing to the
| largest of the blackies.
But, dear, she isn't lazy, that is the
| queen ant. You know each nest has a
| queen who governs, keeps order lays the
directs
| her own food or builds nests. and very sell
| dom comes out of the home. When she
| does she has guard about her just as did
| the fairy queen in your little play las. fall.
| Her food is brought to her, and she ~ al
| ways shown the greatest respect Some
| times there several queen ants in
| nest, although among bees there is only
| one. These queens are Matched with wings,
i but after flying once they go into the nest.
| tear off their wings and do not leave the
| nest again. Now shall We give them their
| supper? Some other time visit the
| queen. 1 think that Elmer may get the
| honey. for he, like the ants, is very fond off
/ sweets
| Elmer placed the honey in the center of
| the large board and ere long one venture
| some blackie, who was roaming about, dis
| covered 1t.
How did he find it, mammal" queried
| Rob
TT is not known just how well ants see.
but think he must have smeled 1t. Their
power of smelling is very great You re-
member, Elmer, how some ants il the yard
found your sugar plums where you had
placed them in box upstairs and after
YOU had moved the box to another place |
down stairs. You the ant IS made up |
of three parts. a head. whore the eyes and
feelers are; a thOraX, to which the legs IRE |
fastened, and the abdomen, containing the
digestive organs There, with this glass
you see the eyes, one upon each side, |
which are composed of numerous smaller |
ones and also the three single eyes upon |
the top of the head. In some of the Oc- |
equations of these ants we Shall see how |
they use the different parts of their bodies |
They have more eyes and keanar sense of |
smell than to help them lii finding their
food"
Three. mamma, three!' shouted Fred. |
eric
Eyes, the blackie has found more food
than he can eat or carry home. So ne has
gone for help, and has brought two COM |
panions. 1 know that Elmer is ready TO |
ask how he could tell them what he want |
ed. These long featherlike threads in the |
head are called antennae feelers. and |
the ants communicate by means of these |
by crossing them with those of other ants. |
Ants have no language as we have, but can |