Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-01-26
UGLY DRIVER ANTS
All Living Creatures Fly Before
These African TerrorS.
THEY BUILD LIVING BRIDGES.


and Ferocious Insects Want to Gross
q River Suspension Tube of Their
Own Bodies Provides the Way.
Why should driver ants cross rivers?
The ants of o1- own woods have 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 not disturbed
or annoyed An angry ant is TO be
avoided, and an angry swarm can
make its displeasure felt in very I'M
pleasant way, as every one knows who
has carelessly broken into nest But
if left alone they are peaceful little
workmen. absorbed in their own
affairs.
The great driver or Bashikoney ant
however. has nothing peaceable In his
composition. He is nothing II not ag-
gressive and spiteful; 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 season of migra-
ton they are terror to the whole
district In which they live.
Myriads of these insects are seized
With 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! liz moment the hapless
creature is covered with ants, and in
an Incredibly short space OF time moth
ing Is left bat bare bones.
The driver ant II so called because
it drives away all living creatures
When this most terrible host is on the
march men and animals. great and
small, take flight. Lions and tigers
may be seen rushing along side by
side with the timid gazeile. All 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 tine common enemy.
Size and strength are of no avail. and
a rhinocercs or an elephant is as much
terrified and is In as much danger as
rabbit
When the vast army OF ants arrive
on the bank Of a river a halt is call
ed. They have no idea of turning
back, but to cross that river they must
have bridge, and the making of this
bridge takes time, and probably the
engineers of the army have to hustle
up to the front
The making Of an ant bridge is one
of the most wonderful things in the
world The ants swarm on tree.
choosing one which overhangs the riv-
er. Upon the bough which reaches
farthest over the stream they mass
themselves and begin to form thick
rope of their own bodies. This they
do by means of holding on firmly with
their hind legs, while with the front
pair of legs they grasp the bodies of
other ants. Constantly fresh ants
range themselves In front, and so the
rope grows and grows until at last it
touches the water.
By and by the floating chain is car
ried 5y the current toward the other
side where probably grass and great
reeds spring out Of the water. The
foremost ants seize upon the first OBJ
ject they touch, and from one slender
fnn%hnld 30 oil until
at last they reach land The nearest
tree is quickly climbed, the foremost
pairs of legs doing all the work, and
very soon the living rope is swinging
high above the river. The bridge is
made, and quickly the army crosses the
stream.
Du Chaillu, in his African travels,
had an opportunity Of observing one of
these bridges, and he declares that 1t
is 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 is no longer
needed. the ants in the rear release
their hold and the rope or tunnel drops
into the river. The ants 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 began 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 ara r. what laws
do they act. and how did they learn to
make bridges? Our naturalists have
learned much OF their ways and their
doings, but these questions they cannon
answer; they are part of the mystery
OF life and nature Of which the wisest
knows Bttle.-J- Cutler in London Fam
lily Herald