TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 100, 22 January 1935, Page 8

TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Insect Co-operation ■' When going down for a swim before breakfast at Plimmerton the other morning, I noticed a curious formation on the sandy drive. A circular ridge of sand had appeared since the evening before, surrounding a shallow crater or saucer, about four inches in diameter, with a small hole in the centre. From this hole emerged a constant stream of ants, each carrying a grain of' sand, which it took to the edge of the crater and dropped. They then returned for another load. It must have taken innumerable journeys to build up the symmetrical ring I saw. One ant found a piece of straw which had been blown into the centre of the crater. It disappeared into tlie holo, to reappear with three companions. The four of them contrived to shift the objectionable straw to the rim. As the sun became hotter work ceased, but began again n the evening. Next Hay there were four more smaller craters, all within a foot of the original one. A thin stream of ants was working 1 nn each. The car wheel happened to crush one of these, and within a few minutes all "workmen” were withdrawn from the oilier craters, and evidently put to work repairing the damage, since tlie numbers here were nt onee much increased. Later, when a similar disaster had occurred three or four times, work on this crater was abandoned, anti activity on tlie others was renewed, I was tempted to get a spado and find out what tlie underground workings were like but nt the last minute 1 took pity on these clever and industrious insects. — W. Palerson (Pahiatua),