Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-17

What a field for speculation. What possibilities are involved in the sl'. pie suggestion!
 Revived interest is aroused ill the bell weev l problem by the announce ment, conveyed in a press disfatch from Washington, that the little Qua femalan ant imported into Texas for the purpose of eXterminating inc pcs tiferous beetle, had proved himself to be wonderfully adapted to the work in hand and that the agricultural de- partment had strong hope of using the ant as an effective means of check ing the weevil's ravages.
 Arkansas is watching with the greatest of interest the result of the departments experiments, for they mean much to the state, this being essentially a cotton country, more es- pecially this particular section, where it must always remain the staple product of the soil.
 The 'kelep," the little Guatemalan ant referred to, is very tame and friendly little creature, rather slow moving in his actions, somewhat lighter in color than the hillock ant, slightly longer and more slender in body. Though provided With mandi- bles, they are not strong enough to attack the leaf tissues of the cotton plant. It is partial to the nectar of the cotton plant, and it is for this reason primarily that the insect in- fests the plant. Contrary to com- mon belief the ant does not campaign for the boil weevil, nor is there really any combat between then. when they meet. The cotton plant simply hap. pens to be common meeting ground for them, and while seeking tho nec- tar of the cotton plant, if the ant hap. pens to run across boil Weevil he proceeds to make short work ot him.
 The act of killing the weevil is sin. pie enough, although it shows a re- markable instinct and six II on the part of the "kelep." The ant simply remains still until the weevil gets near; then. grabbing his victim. around the body near the thora1 he prys open with his mandibles the joint of the weevil between the thorax and the abdomen. This leaves an unprotected spot at this joint and the ant instantly doubles up and inAicts his sting at the vital part The poi son of his sting takes immediate ef- feet. the weevil is permanently para. lyzed, there is slight twitchiEs of his legs and he dies. The ant then ca ries the body to his nest and eats it at his leisure. Afterwar.i this food it regurgitated and fed to the young. The remarkable display of instinct and skill comes in the ants ability tc strike the vital spot. anl S auick:y and accurately As the wee :il's ar. mor is strong enough to l..ep the ant fri" penetrating his scci w,ta t!.e stinger, 1t is first necessary to grab the weevil and pry open the joint be- tween the thorax and the abdomen, where the stinger may be injected to such deadly purpose. The whole operat on is pretty much the same as that of the mud wasp stinging the spider, which, like the ant, he carries to his nest and regugitates for his young.
 The weevils are not always eaten at once, but are sometiems kept for a long time in the nests. The experi- ments of Prof. o. F. Cook. the discov- erer of the ant. have led to the dis covery that in inflicting his sting in the weevil's body the ant injects a preservative fluid that keeps the body from decaying for a remarkable period of time. In this, too, the ant resembles the wasp, which preserves pthe bodies of spiders in the same manner.
 The discovery of the Guatemalan ant, or the "kelep." as the natives call it, was not an accident. as most people are inclined to believe: but was in pursuance of well-defined policy on the part of the agricultur- al department of the United States government. This policy was based upon the principle now so we'll recog- nized among scient sts, i. e., the ten dency of nature to prevent in some way the abnormal increase of one form of life over another. The means employed to prevent this are rot always the same, but observation has shown that in the cases of in- sects the antagonizing quantity Is