The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-09-30
UGLY DRIVER ANTS
All Living Creatures Fly Before
These African Terrors.
THEY BUILD LIVING BRIDGES.
'.'hon an Army of These Formidable
and Ferocious insects Want to Cross
"a River a Suspension Tube of Their
Own ecdies Provides she Way.

River q Suspension I.une OF thetr
Own Bodies Provides the Way. -.
Why should driver ants cross rivers?
The ants uf our own woods have no
! such desire; they are busy little people.
too much engaged in the practical task
os shn,iin? and sturiis foolf sU'have Gny
vagdries Of this sort. They tre Con
tented and harmless IL not disturbed
, or annoyed. An angry nnt Is 10 be
aeOided. and. angry swarm can
make its dlsHIaasnre felt inn very IN
plEnsant way. as every one kaows whu
has carelessIy broken Ipto a nest. But
ifkleft alone they are peaceful little
workmcn. absorbed in their own
| affhirs
The great driver or Bashkoney ant.
| however. has nothing peuceable in bis
composition. He Is nothing if not ag-
| greSslve and spitcful: neither Is he con.
| tented. In the great forests Of Africn
these insects ,hultiply to an alarming
| extent. They swarm in thousands.
! perhaps millions. and. formidable nt
/ any time. during tue season of niiSraS
ton they are IL terror To- the whole
| District in which they live.
Nyriads OF these insects nre seized
with Il restless desire for change. Obey
| ing some mysterious instinct % follow.
| Ing the commands of their queen. they
| set out upon their travels. nnd woe
betide the man or beast that crosses
| their path. In 4 moment the hailess
creature Is covered with ants. and In
an incredibly short space OF time moth
ing Is left bu. bare bones 4E
| The driver ant is 30 cnlIpd because
| It drives away MI living creatures
| When this most terrible host In on the
march men and animuIs. great AMI
email. take hight. Lions and .igers
may be seen rushing along side by
side with the timid saZellp. All are
too much frightened 20 dream of at-
| tucking or avoiding each other For
| once In their lives they nre united In
their terror of the common enemy.
size ard strength are Of no avail. and
rhinoceros or an elephant ls is much
terrified and is I'm as much danger as
Fabbit.
When the vast army of ants arrive
on the bank of river halt Isl emil.
ed They have no idea of turning
baclsxbnt to eEess allaA:FIseFs the must
have n bridge. and the .mukfng af thiS
bridge takes t.rue. and probably The
engineers OF the army have to bnstie
i sp SC the frnm..
The making Of nn ant bridge Is one
of the most wonderful things In the
world The ants swarm on tree.
choosing one which overhGngs the riv:
i er. Upon the bough which reaches
4arthcSt, over the stream they mnss
themselves and begin TO. form. n thick
rope Of their own bodies. ,g. This they
do by means iof; holdlng on. firmly with
their hind legs, while with the ffonf
pair Of legs they grasp the bodies OF
other ants. Constnntiy. n e:sh ants
range themselves In front. ana so the
rOpe grows and grows until at Inst 1t
touches the water.
BY and by fhe f1onting chain is car
rlcd by the current toward the other
side where probnhly grass aiid grens
reeds spring piit OF the water. The
foremost ants seize upon. the first oh
Ject they toiilh. aii from tic
foothold to- another they climb until
ut last theHtrreach land Tho nearest
tree Is quickly,s climbed. tile fore most
pairs Of legs doing aiI the work. aud
very soon the living rope Is swinging
high above. tho river. Z, The bridge Is
mnde. and quickly the army crosses the
stream. ~
oDaIrChaiilii..i In Ibis AfrJeany travels
II had an opportunity OF observing one pt
these bTidgess and he declares that 81
U.s. made wills Il hollow center, the
4 iiS ing bodies or the ants fotfning the
wallis of n tunnel. through which the
Eaaain body Of s,,Tts ts;ayel safsiy Tower
the. Whtsrt Yleif tito 9as& ant has
l crossed and ibe bridge Is no longer
needed. the UNITS In the rear reiease
their hnld and the rope or tunnel drops
into the seiscf. The ants do not like
water. but they are a1un released from
this positieH.for the vanguard are dis
!, persing MS fast as they can. and the
self sacriiictng ants WHO begun the
geclt chain are quickly upon dry hand
Ii is all sery. strange and very won
,ierfnl. Why do they travel at MI,
s BY what direction and by what laws
!. do they act. and how did they learn e
rnake bridges: Oar naturalIsts haye
le;trned much of their ways and tileil
doings. but thcse questions tliey cannot
!, answer: ~ ey. are ,pnrt of tlie mystery
4 OF life ana npturesof which tie ,wiscst
J knows littIess-J q t;utie., IN london F'apa
Z Ill