Bulletin Volume a - 122 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 Excerpt: ... and their immature stages are never exposed to light except for brief periods in emergencies. If the opaque cover is removed from the top of an artificial ant nest for a considerable time, all the ants will come out and will refuse to return until the cover is replaced. Several experiments were made at Baton Rouge, La., in 1909, using different colored glasses for cage covers, but the ants were not satisfied unless the cover was absolutely opaque. While they will go anywhere into daylight in search of food, they will cover over as thoroughly as possible, with their protective "sheds," the colonies of scale insects, mealy-bugs, and aphides which they habitually frequent. SENSE OP SMELL. The workers exhibit a very keen sense of smell by the manner in which they locate certain foods. Meat which is wrapped in heavy wrapping paper will attract thousands of the insects, and they will work their way through the various folds and crevices of the paper in a surprising manner until they reach the meat itself. The workers readily secure entrance into the ordinary Mason or glass fruit jar, if one omits placing beneath the cover the rubber ring or gasket. No matter how tightly the cover is screwed on, the workers follow the spiral threading between cover and glass until the interior is reached. Another illustration of the sense of smell is seen in the readiness with which trails are restored when broken or disturbed. If a line of ants be moving across a floor in a circuitous line, for example, and all ants be swept from the floor with a broom, the next on-coming workers will follow exactly the original course. This may be repeated indefinitely and the trail will always be established in the original location. If, however, some strong-smelling substance, like ...