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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1882. 
said, that when those ants that are unprovided with a sting 
make use of their mandibles to inflict a bite, they curve 
round their abdomen, so as to be ready immediately to squirt 
this acid into the wound. 
Our readers are, of course, familiar with the stories 
told of ants keeping herds of Aphides for the sake of 
honeydew and tapping them as human beings keep 
and milk cattle ; and, if we are to credit all that 
is told us, the slaveholders of the West India islands 
and the Southern States could, as the planters of 
Cuba or Brazil still can, quote the example in their 
favour of the species of pale-coloured ants which 
make slaves of the black coloured. 
THE UTILIZATION OF ANTS AS GRUB 
DESTROYERS IN CHINA. 
The N. C. Daily News publishes the following paper 
by Dr. Macgowan of Wenchow : — 
Accounts given of the depredations of the coccids 
on the orange trees of Florida induce me to publish 
a brief account of the employment by the Chinese 
of ants as insecticides. In many parts of the pro- 
vince of Canton, where, says a Cbinese writer, cereals 
cannot be profitably cultivated, the land is devoted 
to the cultivation of orange trees, which being sub- 
ject to devastation from worms, require to be pro- 
tected in a peculiar manner, that is, by importing ants 
from neighbouring hills for the destruction of the 
dreaded parasite. The orangeries themselves supply ants 
which prey upon the enemy of the orange, but not 
in sufficient numbers ; and resort is had to hillpeople, 
who throughout the summer and winter find the nests 
suspended from branches of bamboo, and various trees. 
There are two varieties of ants, red and yellow, whose 
nests re*emble cotton bags. The " orange ant-breed- 
ers " are provided with pig or goat bladders which 
are baited inside with lard ; the orifices of these they 
apply to the entrance of nests, when the ants enter 
the bags and become a marketable commodity at the 
orangeries. Orange trees are colonized by depositing 
the ants on their upper branches, and, to enable them 
to pass from tree to tree, all the trees of an orchard 
are conneoted by bamboo rods. 
Is the orange the only plant thus susceptible 
of protection from parasitic pests ? Are these 
the only species of auts that are capable of utiliz- 
ation as insecticides ? Indubitably not ; and certainly 
entomologists and agriculturists would do well to 
institute experiments with a view to further discovery 
in this line of research. Lest, however, the United 
States Entomological Commission or Sociele d'Acclima- 
tation of France should undertake to acclimatize these 
Cantonese formica, I must interpose a word of caution. 
Theiv is found in the same province, in the part of 
which Swatow is the port, an ant that is a foe and 
not a friend of agriculture. It is called the "horse- 
ant," from its fancied equine appearance. Horse-ants 
are so destructive that a temple has been erected for 
the worship and propitiation of the Ant God, the 
producer and ancestor of ants. During the fifth month 
of every year the ants assemble to pay court to their 
progenitor, which is the season when farming people 
preeeDt offerings to the Ant God, praying that the 
ravages of the insect may be minimized. The intro- 
duction of this species into America or Europe would 
be calamitous. I shall make due acknowledgment of 
specimens of ants that may be forwarded to me 
from Canton and of information respecting the orange 
insect and specimens. * Here 1 might conclude 
* Since writing tho above I have met with a passage in 
the Botanical Encyclopedia of Hsu-kuang-ch'i, (he Christian 
statesman and philosopher (a posthumous work 1640) 
which seems to indicate that ants generally may be em- 
ployed for protecting the orange. Under orange culture he 
simply directs the placing of ants' nests on tree-tops, which, 
he adds, will drive away tho worms that injure that fruit. 
this communication, but, as Sir John Lubbock has 
recently added eo much to our knowledge of ants, 
many people in many lands have become curious 
to study further the habits of this remarkable in- 
sect. I append therefore a few remarks, which will 
show that the British legislator might find much in 
China to reward painstaking research. 
What Pliny heard respecting a gigantic ant in 
India, the size of an Egyptian wolf, reached China 
somewhat exaggerated ; while an Encyclopajdia states 
that red a;its are found in the western deserts as big 
as elephants and that they kill people ! What, how- 
ever, Chinese writers state concerning the ants of 
their own country is not incredible. Before they 
acquired the art of writing these observant people had 
noted the most characteristic feature of ants — their 
orderly submission to authority ; and therefore, when 
writing began, th*-y devised a character expressive 
of this trait of the formica, composed of "insect," 
and, for the phonetic element, ''that which enables 
the heart to rule itself, the rule of self-dignity and 
respect, what is proper and just per se ; because, 
says lexicography, the ants have princes and ministers, 
implying intelligent administration and obedience. 
A further evidence is furnished of their regard 
for equity in their uniting to inflict capital punish- 
ment on offenders, and in their co-operative and 
communistic proceedings with regard to food. 
Patient observations have been made of their sub- 
terranean abodes. It. bas been discovered that they live 
in cities which have crenelated and carved walls, 
within which are regular streets, dwellings, galleries 
and markets. In one of these cities two magnates 
were observed, one of a purple color, with wiDgs 
and legs of golden hue; in another, a regular 
court was observed, the prince giving audience to a 
privileged few, menial officers at a distance keeping 
order. On quitting their nests, they sometimes march 
five abreast in military rank. They afford prognostics 
of wet weather, knowing well when it is about to rain ; 
to protect themselves from deluges they close up the 
apertures of their nests. In classic times a military 
leader being in straits for water was advised to observe 
the position of ants' nests — which in winter are to 
be found on the southern acclivities of hills, and 
in summer on the northern aspects — and to dig 
for water where their earthworks were to be seen; 
and on digging as directed water was obtained. 
Their passion for carrion is particularly noticed by 
native naturalists, and the predacious and pugnaci- 
ous character of ants is often referred to. They 
have been seen fighting in pairs, advancing, and 
retreating in duels a whole day and night. Several 
of their battles have been recorded, having obtained 
this distinction in consequence of civil commotions 
that followed, of which they were considered to be 
portents. In the year 466 A. D., black ants and 
reddish ants in Shantung fought in great numbers, 
filling a space forty yards long and four inches wide. 
The red ants were destroyed. About a century later 
another great action is recorded between yellow and 
black ants at Nanking, when the former entirely per- 
ished. There is no record of enslavement of black 
ants by white ants in Chinese natural history. Either 
slavery has not been observed among them, or they 
have not attained to that stage of advancement. In 
battle they show no quarter, whether the fight is 
among their own or against other colours. 
The sudden multiplication of ants has been noticed ; 
but no such disaster is recorded as that in the island 
of Granada, which a century ago was devastated by 
this formidable race. In 636 A. D. the capital was 
amazed by the appearance of ants covering a space of 
forty yards in length and five to ten feet wide, and 
piled over each other from six inches to a foot in 
thickness ! Ants of large size, both red and black, 
