The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-10-02
UGLY DRIVER ANTS
All Living Creatures Fly Before
These African Terrors.
THEY BUILD LIVING BRIDGES.

They BUILD LIVING BRIDGES.
When an Army Of These Formidable
and feroc.ous insects Want to Cross
River q Suspension Tube Of Their
Own Bodies Provides the Way.
Why should driver ants cross rivers?
The ants OF our W woods nave no
such desire; they are busy little people.
too much engaged in the practical task
Of finding and storing food to have any
vagar1es of this sort. They are con.
tented and harmless If mol disturbed
or annoyed. An angry ant is to be
avoided. and an angry swarm al
make its ~displeasure felt in a very I'm
pleasant way. as every one knows who
has careIessIy broken into a nest But
II left alone they are peaceful little
workrnen. absorbed in their 0wn
affairs.
The great driver OF Bashikoney ant
however. has nothing %peaceabie in his
COulpOSlt1Ou l1c 10 uOluAu6 u " as
gressive and spitefui; neither is he con-
tented. In the great forests of Africa
these insects multiply to an alarming
extent They swarm In thousands.
perhaps millions. and. formidable at
any time. during the a OF migra.
ton they are a terror to the whole
district in which they live.
Myriads Of these insects are seized
with q restless desire for change. Obey
ing some mysterious instinct or follow.
ing the commands OF their queen. they
set out upon their travels. and woe
betide the man or beast that crosses
their path: In a moment the hapless
creature is covered with ants, and in
an Incredibly short space OF time moth
ing is left but bare bones.
The driver ant is so called because
it drives away all living creatures
When this most terrible host Ia on the
march men and animals. great and
small. take fight. Lions and tigers
may be e rushing along side by
side with the timid gazelle. ALI are
too much frightened to dream Of at
lacking or avoiding each other. For
once in their lives they are united in
their terror of the common enemy.
Size and strength are OF no avail. and
a %rhinoceros or an elephant is as much
terrified and is in as much danger as
u rabbit.
When the vast army of ants arrive
on the bank of a river a halt is call
ed. They nave no idea OF turning
have a bridge. and the making of this
bridge. takes time. and probably the
engineers OF the army have to hustle
mp to the front.
The making of an ant bridge ia n
Of the most wonderful things In the
world The ants swarm on a tree.
choosing one which overhangs the riv-
er Upon the bougb which reaches
farthest over the stream they mass
themselves and begin to form a thick
rope Of their own hodies. This they
do by means Of holding on firmly with
their hind legs. while with the front
ratr of legs they grasp the bodies of
other ants. Constantly fresh ants
range themselves In front. and 80 the
rope grows and gruws until at last 1t
touches the water.
By and By the ~t1onting chain Ia al
ried by the current toward the other
side where probably grass and great
reeds spring out Of the water. The
foremost ants seize upon the first Oh
iect they touch. and from one slender
foothold to another they climb until
ut last they reach land. The nearest
tree ts quickly climbed. the foremost
pairs of legs doing all the work. and
very noon the living rope Is swinging
nigh above the river. The bridge Is
made. and quickly the army crosses the
''tream.
Du Chaillu. in his African travels.
had an opportunity Of observing q Of
these bridges. and he declares that II
Il, made with a hollow center. the
living bOdies Of the ants forming the
walls of a tunnel. through which the
main body of ants travel safely over
the water. When the last ant has
crossed and the bridge 10 % longer
needed. the ants in the ear release
their hold and the rope or tunnel drops
into the river. The nj do not like
water. but they are soOn released from
this position. for the vanguard are dis
persing as fast as they can. and the
self sacrificing ants who begun the
great chain are quickly upon dry land.
1t Is all very strange and very won
derful. Why do they travel at all?
BY what direction and by what laws
do they act. and how did they learn to
make bridges? Our n%aturalists have
learned much Of their ways and their
doings. but these questions they cannot
answer: they are part Of the mystery
Of life and nature Of which the wtsest
knows little.-J. Cutler in London Fam
lily Herald.
ENnaa G1a