Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-06-19
Ants.

Naturalists are now able to give inter-
esting facts relating to every department
of natural science. In regard to ants, a
few facts of popular interest may be sum-
married. as follows:-
All ants, with few exceptions, are born
with wings. The mates retain these ap-
pendages until death; the females only
after the marriage flight. At this time
housekeeping begins, whereupon they
unwing themselves. What need of
wings in the ground? When the drones
in beehive have performed their func-
ton, the worker bees summarily dispatch
them. This way has an element of the
human about it. But, alas for the male
ant. Driven forever from his home, he
is a prey for bird, beast and man, either
starves to death or by some mishap soon
suffers extinction.
The fertile young queens in their mar
riage flight go hither and thither often
driven by the wind, until they finally set
tie, each one commencing housekeeping
alone if a carpenter ant she works in the
wood, in the ground if an agricultural
ant. AT first the queen works-she has
to. A small excavation is made, and in
this is deposited worker eggs, at least
such eggs first hatch, since workers are
first needed. These she attends with her
own hands, but continues to lay more
eggs. With loving fidelity the young
ants exercise a motherly care for their
younger brothers and sisters. AS the
colony increases the queen works less and
finally does nothing except exercise her
royal function of laying eggs. These the
workers carefully deposit. in order of
age, in the nursery and constantly care
for them as they develope into baby ants
or larvae. The queen is now subject to
her own household and is compelled to
remain within the formlcary, being sur
rounded constantly by circle of workers
called "courtiers." If by chance, she
happens to escape to the sunlight, they
catch her by the leg or antenna and draw
down her down into apartments below
This body guard of some twenty worker
ants form a circle about and never for
sake her, night or day. The ant home is
thus democracy, not a monarchy. The
most subject one in the colony is the queen
herself. She is sometimes rebellious, but
is never able to override the will of her
children.
The young males and virgin queens do
no work. They are fed by the workers
and absolutely do nothing but play and
enjoy life until the period arrives for the
marriage flight. AT this time-July and
August-they are actually driven out by
the workers and made to feel that their
presence is no longer desired.
Ants of different species, usually hostile
to, each other lay aside all luminosity, as
BELTS this wedding occasion, and uniting
swarms fill the air in places like an over.
sha lowing cloud. AS with the swarm
ing of bees, this is the gala day of their
lives.
Though their home is in wood, stone
or the earth, ants are unexcelled in their
clearly habits. They brush, comb and
battle themselves and one another. Dur
ing the process they stretch, yawn and
act very human. They also sleep, usual
ly taking eat naps;" but sometimes they
sleep soundly for three hours; hence this
time is regarded as 'good nights rest
for the emmit Only by artificial formi
carries can such facts be obtained.
kidnapping ants go to war and, like
the ancients, make slaves of their van
qnished foes. Once conquered. however