Show THE PARASOL ANT sow the insect acquired it queer nm the fact that the parasol ant of the west indies has grown to be anch a pest that the government of trinidad has had to adopt appropriate legislation against its ravages draws attention to the remarkable habits of the little creature it has been definitely determined that they do not cut the circular bite out of the leaves that they bear away BO like a parasol over their heads for the purpose of eating them or for nest lining as has been suggested these bits of leaves are imply wanted as the soil on which to cultivate a certain sort of fungus that they feed upon and the ants are as expert in its culture as any market gardener of faiia in the growing of his beloved mushrooms A nest of these tiny agriculturists has thus been described by the director of public works of trinidad who haa had them on his aoudy table each forager dropped his portion of leaf in the neat and it was taken up by a small worker and carried to a clear beaco to be cleaned it waa then taken in hand by the large workers which after licking it with their tongues reduced it to a small black ball of pulp these balls were built on the edge of the already formed fungus bed and slightly smoothed down the new surface was then planted with portions of the fungus brought from other parts of the nest each piece is put in separately and the ants know exactly how far apart the plants should be it sometimes tome times aa if the bits of fun agns gns had been put in too scantily in places yet in about forty hours if the humidity has been properly regulated it is all evenly covered with a mantle as of very fine when it is remembered that most persons who have tried the cultivation of edible fungi have failed because of the difficulties arising from the handling of the spores and the maintenance of the needed humidity it almost seems that we must concede to these tiny creatures a greater degree of agricultural skill than is possessed by the average farmer |