Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-08-08
Their Work, Recreation Hours
and Fairgrounds.
Ants Are Curious Little Creatures, and
One Always Sees Something New
In Their Habits II Willing 70
Study Them Patiently.

One Always Sees Something New
In Their Habits II Willing 70
Study Them Patiently.
A scientist recently, took strange
photograph, using the compound eye OF
an insect as his lens. When the plate
was developed. there appeared 1bO sep
arate and distinct photographs OF the
same object-one for each of the loo
eyes which make up the complex see
ing organ OF the tiny creature. Some
insects have thousand such eyes
gathered together into one. Imagine
what 1t must mean to look at q single
enemy and see 1t multiplied into q
company or q regiment! exclaims the
New York Press.
Among scientists there is much de-
bate as to just how much or how well
insects as a class are able to see. 1t IL
fairly certain that a species Of wasp 10
quite dependent on its sense Of sight
in finding its way to its nest. 1t has
been observed to study carefully the
sticks, stones and leaves Of grass
which are close to the entrance to it's
nest, and, on returning from flight, to
hunt up and identity these landmarks
before entering. II the surroundings
are disturbed it sometimes has dih-
Guilty in locating It's home.
1t is also certain that occurrences OF
the most trivial character. from the
human standpoint, are to myriads, OF
insects catastrophes of world shaking
horror. A farm wagon drives up the
lane from the stable. Its wheels throw
out bits OF clay and small stones which
fall in overwhelming masses on the
bodies and houses Of vast communities
of ants. A whole ant city may be
wiped out In an instant, the laborious
work of weeks instantly destroyed. by
an ordinary incident Of this sort
A woman, working with her trowel
In the garden, empties handful OF
earth into the path where an ant col
ony has set up its home. The little
pile, two or three inches in height.
must have appeared like the Rocky
mountains to the ants. But, as 1t lay
OSIWCCu lACAl AOulC oAu O. 4OSSAAo R~ssAt
the sweetness Of which they were TAX
ing back to the ant city, they built q
straight road up. and over the noun
tain and went back to their labor.
Insects belonging to the higher or
ders often take advantage of little
things about their nests, things which
from a human standpoint would be of
no importance whatever. A clear case
of this nature was recently found by
Prof. Paul Griswold Holmes. Upon the,
rocky face of cliff several large col
onies of small red ants had chosen
solid rock as entrances to their houses.
Indeed, they may have used these
holes for their entire nests without go
ing to the usual trouble Of excavating
long tunnels In the earth. Being OF
solid stone. the communities were en-
tirely protected from many natural
enemies that are ever present and
ready to destroy their usual abodes in
the ground. '<< r.. %%
These ants were indeed insect cliff
dwellers, living in tiny natural caves
high above the common road of insect
travel Not only were they making
use of the caves, but also of tiny
cracks in the rock. These served as
smooth, level roadways for the bur
dened and even free insects Of the COL
onies, and no doubt saved many an
hour which might have been spent In
trying to scale the perpendicular side
of the cliff. These roads Also were
shorter routes to the nest by many an
insect mile, and in the course of sea-
son would make quite a difference In
the amount accomplished by colony
OF cliff dwellers."
Ants are curious little creatures, and
one always sees something new in
their habits II willing to study them
patiently They seem to have regular
times set aside for recreation, during
which time Professor Holmes has
watched them going through the mo-
tons of an apparently frightful battle.
Again he has seen one insect fiat upon
his back while another combed and
brushed 1t with the tiny combs which
actually exist upon the forelegs Of the
insect. This recreation hour is usual
ly held about noon on clear days.
Often the same spot will be used day
after day for these games, and one oc-
cesionally will see several ants lying
I'm the sun fast asleep while their
brothers are sporting and undoubtedly
shouting their merriment close by.
Our authority once found one Of these
Fairgrounds Of the ants which consist
ed Of sun warmed stone close to
small brook. the fiat area of the top
being the popular resort.
Gas 6uoy's Long Drift.
One Of the strangest cruises ever
taken by q gas buoy is recorded by
the government Of Canada. The buoy