Nature.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1607, 21 October 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

Nature.

j; THE KLEPHANT IN THE MIDDLK AGES. J/Blatthew Paris mentions that tho Soldan of Malek el Kamcl, sent an elephant as a |fWe present to the Eprperor. ITrederic IT., in the K&fotx A. D. 1229 (Sir Frederick Maddens edition iptitjie " Historia Min^^mLii., p. 314). But it Ip&ag not until tho y^^^^^fcti^jjfjtclophant ?Was.seen in Englai^^^^^^^^^HßMM| JKirig pi France toJ^^^^^^^^^^^^H ■h£>obn of^y^^^^^^^^^^H

TbiijA' Majora" of Matthew Paris v., b. 4s§j that no elephant had ever seen on this side of the Alps, but that hardly agree with the record of the presented to the German Emperor in A. as already mentioned. Crowds of people see tho king's elephant, according to this and v we may well believe it. Tho drawings to indicate an<tndian rather than an jAJrican MphanVbnt it to determine the question.— Scientific AmWican. , .

THE HONHY-BEABIftG ANT. The researches of thO Rev. H. C. Me Cook, D.D., in New Moxico have nbrought to light another peculiarity of ant-life—wo~Ua£ almost said antcivilisation. Amongst tho>>W>ney-ants of New Mexico thero are three castes of Vox-king ants who gather honey from a species of vegetable gall in the night time ; but instead of storing it in combs they pour it into the crops of another caste ofjants belonging to the colony. Those are the honeybearers, and their Junction is simply to store tho honey until it is wanted by tho other members of the community. Eor this purpose their crops aro abnormally developed, and it requiros about 1,000 "rotunds," as they aio called, to yield a troy pound of honey. When the other ants require food they go to tho lotunds, who feed, them by pressing out a drop of honey from their interiors. This honoy is pleasant to tho taste, like ordinary honey, but is moro aromatic, and diluted. It is ncaily a pure solution of grape-sugar.