Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1901 — ANTS ACT AS STRATEGISTS. [ARTICLE]

ANTS ACT AS STRATEGISTS.

Colonies vs the Ineecta Transact Bnalneaa with Military Precision. From a military standpoint the methods employed by ants to provide food for an ant colony are almost perfect. Their foraging parties are faultless, both in fanning and execution, and are almost uniformly successful. A resident of this city who visited South (Africa gives this description of a foray of an army of ants. The army, which he estimates to have numbered about 15,000 ants, started from Its home in the mud walls of a hut and marched in the direction of a small mound of fresh earth but a lew yards distant, says the New York Herald. The head of the column halted on reaching the foot of the mound and waited for the rest of the force to arrive at the place of operation, which evidently was to be the mound of fresh earth. When the.remainder had arrived and hailed so that the entire army was assembled a number of ants detached themselves from the main body and began to ascend to the top of the mound, while the others began moving so as to encircle the base of the mound. Soon a number from the detachment which had ascended the mound, evidently the attacking party, entered the loose earth and speedily, returned, each bearing a cricket or a young grasshopper, dead, which he deposited upon the ground, and then returned for a fresh load. Those who had remained on the outside of the mound took up the crickets and grasshoppers as they were brought out and bore them down to the base of the hill, returning for a fresh load. Soon the contents of the mound seemed to be exhausted and then the whole force returned home, each carrying his burden of food for the ityHere, then, was the regular foray, planned and executed with military precision, the country surveyed, the depot of provisions known accurately before the march was made and at the mound prudential division of labor and care taken that none of the victims should escape.