ANTS TALK.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1925, Page 1

ANTS TALK.

\\ lull Mills say to one another and how they communicate has been studied by Professor von 11. Kidintinn, of .Munich. boss i.s known about the social customs of many an obscure race of people than is known about I lie social custom- of ants, but the mode of communication of these little, creatures has been found difficult to study, llevond the fact that the ant language is apparently a deal’ anil dumb language of signs, little else lias been known. Professor Itidinann made his observations on a colony of ants inhabiting an artiiicial ant-hill in bis laboratory, and be chose the incidents of food-finding for bis study of their mode of connnuiMcation. An ant upon tiuding a partit-Ic of food tried to drag it away alt by hcrsoir. Inn if that was found entirely impossible she took the shortest cut back to (lie anl-bill to got help. Tn the upper part of the ant-hill was a son, of guard room where there were ants always ready for such burry calls. The scout who bad found the food entoreil and crossed antennae with each a'in, and thus coniinunicatoil the glad tidings. The ants swarmed out of the ant-hill and ran around aimlessly until the scout, who bad found the booty reappeared. She bad been marked by l lie experimenter by a white speck on her back, so that her movements could always be followed. The scout lead the way with a trail of ants close oil her heels, the antennae of one often touching the ant ahead, and all of them following every action of the leader and executing a perfect- goose stop. "When the booty was found, it was attacked and broken to pieces or dragged back whole to the bill. The scout apparently did not tell everything she knew, for when the experiment was repeated ami the leader apprehended just when she was about to direct the way to the lind. and her trail destroyed by putting paper on her track, the others lost their way. Whether she could have given more information had she known what would happen to her is not known. Professor Kidmaun's ants exhibited a number of admirable finalities. First of all, they never ask for help of their follows when they can do the job by themselves. The experimenter sprinkled crumbs of food where a scout could lind them. The little creature made in all twenty-three trips hack and forth to tile ant-hill until the last crumb had been delivered. Another interesting ((Utility is their I si long sense of duly. When the good news of die discovery of food lum ~ne< been < ,un mmi i<:i t"d and the little troop is on it- way. nothing can load them isirav. A drop id lionet placed liinplin :!;. 11l i ceil path I" -! all ii -- i hai in. A sidelong lick and an askance glance nils all it got. This good principle, lowcver. was carried id an absurd oxreme. I’ctter pieces of better lood ! veie passed up Ix-i-ausc the ants did ■ ml know how to change their minds. This trait expained something that | • iad puzzled the experimenter for a j >ng time. He had often noticed in M lature that entire swarms of ants pass- I (1 over, without touching, particles of J nod such as they generally devour i reedily. This is now explains as he- | ig not within the line of duty. Ants may seem to have short mem- i n’f's. bur in Professor Kidmaun’s ex- is

perieiiee, repeatedly, after the last trace of food had been carried off. the ants returned to look for more. This, however, can he explained biologically, for often where the head of a delectable insect is found the body may bo somewhere about. We ourselves are liable to search carefully a spot where lost nioncv has been found.