Year: 1870

INTELLIGENCE OF THE ANTS.


From "The Intelligence Of Xqmals"-soriDncr & Co..


The ants when hatched, are completely na-
ked but they have good nurses, who lavish
on them the most assiduous care, bestow up
on them the most tender caresses, expose
them to the sun in warm weather, and keep
them in the cells when it becomes cold. The
ants make up for the weakness of their bodies
by the swiftness of their feet, the ineness Of
their touch and the number of their eyes,
which inform them of approaching danger.
They possess, too, powerful acid, which is
elected against foes, and, in some species,
will even blacken or burn the trees on which
these insects build their nests They have a
government too, which is a pure Democracy


and seems to realize the political dreams of
Plato, or those of Sir Thomas Moore. Of
course, in this insect Republic the property
belongs equally to all; even the babies are
claimed by the State. The whole community
forms q brotherhood, and no individual is
distinguished by aught save ardent love for
the public good. In this respect they en-
tirely beat the party now in power at Wash
ington-two or three members of which have
been known to help themselves first Wo-
mans Rights are regarded. The females are
at all times surrounded by q respectful court,
are even carried in triumph when fatigued,
and nourished with the richest food. But
[such is Natures stupidity in the cause of
Progress!] they have no influence at all in
the politics of the State, and are quite con-
tent with being the carpenters, and survey
ors however we will give some account Of
the ash-colored ants, which construct their
nests differently from all other species.
Their work is indeed simple compared with
the ingenuity of the red ants, but they at
least build like intelligent apprentices. Their
hill is formed of dome of earth closed en-
tirely except at the bottom, where it is enter
ed by long and winding gallery, hidden in
the earth at some distance from the nest.


If they wish to raise the house higher they
begin by covering the top with q layer of
earth drawn from the interior. In this
stratum they then trace the plan of another
story. First one of the ants digs little fur
rows, at unequal distances, but nearly Of the
same depth. The solid ridges of earth be-
foundations for the inner walls, which form
partitions for the various working chambers
connected with them. The excavated earth
is used in constructing the ceiling. When
the cells have been formed in the trenches,
the architect has only to finish the roof. One
worker begins to take away the earth. She
makes a furrow which by degrees becomes
a lane, on each side Of which is bank


This lane forms at last sort of path, leading
to the gallery at the bottom of the nest. The
ants which thus trace the plan of the wall,
apartment, gallery, or avenue, work each
one by itself; and sometimes it happens in
consequence that different parts of the struc-
ture don't agree one with the other One
arch for instance, is closed up, or is too low
for the wall to which it should be Joined


Sometimes it is only half the height it should
be. Such an obstacle appears insurmount-
able to such feeble insect The ash-color-
ed ants are not startled at this One ant
passes, sees the error destroys the road COM
menced, raises the wall on which the path
should rest, and makes a new road, which,
this time constructed by an experienced
workman, fullills perfectly all the conditions
Is not this an act of comparison--of judy-
ment-and of intelligence?


1t is when the ant commences such an en-
terprsc that we see she thinks while she
works, and realizes her ideas in her work


When one of these insects sees on the nest
two little bits of grass. which cross one an.
other, and which would serve for the con-
struction of q cell, or when she sees several
small sticks in an angular shape, she examines
all these things, and then places a little earth
in each of the spaces and along the sides OF
the sticks with great skill, without paying
any attention to the work that others may
have sketched already. So muchis she ruled
by the idea that she has conceived, and which
goes, comes, and returns until her idea is un-
derstood by the others then all work to-
gether in common, to carry out the plan
which one has commenced. The first ant
which conceves q plan, sketches it; the
ohers have only to continue the work COM
menced. AT the inspection of the first works,
the insects judge which they will undertake,
They know how to sketch, continue, polish,
or complete their work according to circum-
stances Their teeth-like jaws serve tor cut
ting-tools, their antenne for instruments OF
measurements; and then their front teeth are
trowels with which they mix the mortar, ap-
ply, spread, and fix it as solid cement


Dr. Ebrard, an author of keen observation
on the habits of the ant, was one day witness
OF the stratagem of black ant, which shows
the most ingenious calculation on the part of
the insect. One day, says he, saw, on the
summit of an ant hill, an entire sketch
| OF a new story in construction 1t was a
series of galleries, formed by two parallel
walls, half covered and intersected by num-
erous unfinished cells The upper part of the
party walls, in these little rooms, projected
inward about one-tenth of an inch, leaving
spaces between about seven-tenths Of an inch
wide uncovered. The black ants do not fetch
bits of sticks or grass neither do they con-
struct pillars. How did they contrive. then,
to finish covering in the cells, before the ma
terials forming the arches fell by their own
weight? The soil was wet, and the work in
full force. 1t was constant running, to and
fro. of ants, coming from their subterranean
dwelling, and carrying particles of earth
which they adapted to the old constructions.
Concentrating my attention on the largest
cell I saw that only one ant worked there
the work advanced, nevertheless. In spite OF
a projection inside, between the upper part
of the wall there still remained space of
about half an inch to cover in. This was the
time to support the earth of the rooi with lit
tie pillars, beams, or the remnants of dried
leaves; but the black ants never have re-
course to any of these means, it is not in their
nature to employ them. The solitary ant
left her work for q moment and went to a
cornstalk a little distance off. She run up
and down several long and narrow leaves,
then choosing the leaf nearest to her, she
fetched wet earth. which she fixed at the up
per extremity. She continued this operation,
until, under the weight of earth, the leaf in
clined gently towards the spot it was neces-
to