The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-09
AMT A HE@ARKABl ARCHITECT
LITTLE INSECTS THAT BUILD NESTS THAT RISE TO A HEIGHT
OF FROM TWENTY TO SIXTY FEET.

but only n that assaults them in
their fortress, namely. the ant-bear,
an uncouth. naked-looking animal
about the size of a pig, with tremend-
GUS claws. great. muscular bowed rore-
legs. a proboscis looking snout. and
perfectly harmless. but in u single
night Will wreck an mi heap. There
Is no animal. 1t is said, that can bur-
row so quickly as the ant-bear. In a
lew minutes this creature will burrow
Its way into an ant heap and then by
shooting out its worm-like. sticky
tongue collect the ants by the hun.
dred and swallow them.
Another species is the driver ant.
which Is black. and attains a length OF
ABOUT half an inch to three.ouarters
OF an inch. They go about in huge
Groves and If by any chance a mouse
or an elephant stands in their road it
Is forced to speedily move on or, re-
make their appearance in the rainy
season n then. in certain parts Of
Africa. 1t Is a common occurrence to
see long lines of these ants on the
march. They rapidly advance in per-
fect formation. in lines two to three
1eet vide, and often extending for
nearly half a mile with an %organiza-
tlon and military precision that is
- ~ u AukS1 SSklIl6 "
watch them pass. First comes a col
IN close formation. consisting Of
warrior ants possessing formidable
looking nippers. led by one or more
very large ants. twice the size of the
others. Behind them follows q mixed
mass Of smaller ants. These are the
carriers. carrying various loads; some
brings eggs. others their young, bits
OF leaves and sticks. grass. berries
and dead bodies Of insects. Their
sagacity and engineering aptitude are
truly remarkable, as seen by the won
derful tunnels they construct, gener-
ally under the exposed portion Of the
o on their line of march. where
.nere IS any danger of a torrent wash
ing down through a sudden downpour
Of rain.
As already stated. these creatures
Will destroy and eat any animal that
lies in their path. At Pemba. station,
In northwest Rhodesia. Mr.. Ayton, the
station master. had a pet monkey
chained to a pole with a little house
on top. One night a drove of driver
ants came along and next morning on
~ the white bones OF the monkey were
to be seen. He had been eaten by the
ants. being unable to get away be-
cause of the chain. One Of the en-
gineers on the Cape to Cairo railroad
told me also of incidents where these
"a 1llSkS ltIcII IOWl ON
es and destroyed the poultry. When
these ants enter negro villages the ln-
habitants at once decamp and wait
until they have passed. These intru-
slons. however, are attended with Ger.
tain benefits. The appearance Of these
ants IN a house is soon revealed by the
simultaneous movements Of all the
rates. mice. lizards. cockroaches and
other Vermin which swarm in II
dwellings, in warm countries, and thes.
are either compelled to dccamp hast
lily. or are caught. killed and dcvour-
The red ant is quite a small crea.
ture. making its nest in the ground.
under stones, in the stumps Of trees.
ETC.. and Is to be found in large num-
bers. There are, Of course, a host OF
other ants on the African continent.
but those described are by far the
mos interesting Of this wonderful and
strange form of insect life.
Among the common enemies Of tho
n should be mentioned the ant-lion
that resorts to an ingenious method
In securing its prey. 1t burrows q BIT
In the sand. and. shaped like the
mouth of a funnel. being wide at the
top and becoming gradually narrower
toward the bottom. with only its man.
dibles projecting. the ant-lion waits
until an ant or some other insect falls
down the loose sides Of the nit. when
1t is ~emmediately seized with the Din.
cer-like laws. and retained until all
the 'uices of it's body have been suck.
ed out, n nothing left but the dry
and shriveled skin. The latter IA cast
outside the pit. and the ant-lion again
Hes In walt for the e victim.