The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-06-24

ditnre Of cash or trouble would be
deemed too great in q case Of this
sort. IL the ant can do what is claimed
for 1t, the value Of fe" dozen speci-
mems would be enormous, supposing
that greater number'could not be
secured. But, as matter Of fact,
the Insects are obtainable In unlimited
guam tiles, and Professor Cook has
already forwarded to Washington q
consignmentof them, alive and healthy,
in perforated tin box, together with
a few pieces of sugar cane to supply
them with food.
When they arrive they will be care
fully inspected by Professor L. 0.
Howard and his assistant entomolo.
gists, who will duly classify and name
the species, and proper measures will
be taken 10 propagate them In large
numbers. To do this should not
be difficult, inasmuch as they are re-
| ported to have none of the vicious
biting habits which distinguish many
tropical ants, and sugar being their
favorite food it ought to be practical
BILE to rear them easily enough.
1t does not appear that the ant
feeds upon the boil weevil. On the
plant by the sweet juice which the
'nectaries' Or honey. containing gland
of the latter afford. But it Is at
least conceivable that the ant, which
belongs to the most intelligent of all
insect tribes, recognizes the character
Of the bug that destroys the source Of
its food supply, and SO finds 1T judic-
ious 10 kill the weevil On the other
hand, it docs not do the least injury
to the cotton or to any other plant, 50
far as has been aScertained, and, by
reason OF its peaceable disposition to.
ward man, 1t can be handled with i'm
punity.
''These ants" says Professor Cook,
probably came originally, like the
Indians of Alta Vera Puz, from the
dry, open interior plateau region,
where the center of the aboriginal
cotton industry of Guatemala is still
located" This, If correct, is very
important, because 1t would signify
that the insects are natives Of mod
erately cool climate--a fact which
would have a bearing upon the pros
pect Of introducing them successfully
in Texas and in other parts Of our
own cotton belt. If they were dis
tincti"ely tropical, they might not be
able tc survive in our Southern States.
Professor Cook goes on to say that
these ants are able to protect them
selves pretty we'll against frost, owing
to their habit of burrowing deep into
the ground, where they excavate their
r. l,rn
surface OF the soil. They are also
hardy in other respects, rs Is shown
by the fact that several Of them, shut
up in a box, survive for twelve days
without any food whatever. Later on
they thrived on diet Of cane Juice
1t is believed that there will be 70
difficulty in fetching indefinite num-
berS OF the worker ants to this cOun-
try, but to secure queens and establish
colonies may require cons derable time
and thorough study of all the habits
of tn, species.
Although the cotton seems to be
specially adapted to attract the ant,
owing to It's numerous honey glands,
the ant" slys Professor Cock, is not
+ restricted to a single plint or to a
single kind nf prey 1t attacks and
destroys insects of every order, In
Guiding squash bugs and SOW bugs,
and even kills centipedes. 1t is a
much more efficient destroyer Of noxi-
o, insects than the spider or the
tLau. In short, it is not unlikely to
become valued assistant in the
:; agriculture Of sub tropical countries,
if not in temperate regions. The
| fa mr. pt n n
to consider the ant"
One thing to be considered about
: these particular ants is that socially
speaking, they are much more highly
organized than human beings. Like
humln beings, they combine for pur-
. p ScS Of industry and for the ma,-ing
of war: but, unlike ourselves, every
, thing they do is for the general wei
fare and benefit Of the community,
} and never for sake of the individual.
: For safety as we'll as convenience, they
build their cities underground. Their
food they store in Subterranean rooms,
2 while other apartments are devoted tC
] the rearing OF their young.
The gateway Of the Subterranean
f. town is round hole, beneath which
is a restibule, with a passage leading
: downward at a slant to the rooms
, beneath. The walls and floors Of
1 rooms are neatly and smoothly finish
| ed with plaster for which suitable
e earth is brought from above and made
: adhesive with the saliva Of the insects
1 There is usually one grand storeroom
\ with dome shaped ceiling, and man,
: smaller rooms for storage purposes
= which, as Il rule, are sealed tightl,
= when they are full, and not opened
e until it is necessary to. draw upon theil
\ contents.
I All Of the labor, OF whatever de
scription, is performed by the worke
!, ants, which are undeveloped females
The males do nothing, the sole pur
: pose of there existence being to perpe
: tuate the species. The developed
S females, or queens, are destined t.
f become the mothers of future colonies
/ The workers constitute the bulk o
!, the population, being devided int
j, two classes workers major ant
: workers minor, the former being dis
tinguished from the latter chiefly b.
the fact that they have bigger heads
t When the time comes for the an
9 nual marriage ilight," the winged
/ males and females-thc workers hav,
! no wings issue from the subter