MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 18 October 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

There is, it seems, a certain Mexican ant which stores honey in the bodies of the workers: — First it bites the end if the abdomen, thereby setting up an in-fl-unmation, which closes the apertures of the body. Then it feeds the maimed creature with honey, pouring it into the mouth of the living honeyspot just as the bee pours honey into its crop. This pro* cess is continually repeated until the body of the store«ant is distended to an astonishing size with honey, the skin being stretched to such an extent that it is sufficiently transparent to siiow the honey within. It can- ot escape, for its body is so heavy that the limbs are insufficient to carry it, and so it re* mains in the nest until the honey is wanted. In Mexico these ants are so plentiful that they form regular articles of commerce, being sold by measure in the markets, and used for the purpose of making mead. Specimens may be ssen in the British Museum. Upwards of 20,000 men are at present employed in various parts of the Caucasus endeavouring to check the t lague of locusts. It is recorded in the Russian newspapers that 'at Arbosbinsky the Archimandrite of the Nina Cathedral, on observing the locust cloud, rang tie church bells, and, placing hitnself at the head of the assembled populace worked for twenty-four hours in destroying the insects, leaving, at the end of his exev> tious, none alive in (he district.' Iv many places the populace have been reinforced by troops. The area infested stretches from Kirs to Astrachan, and from Astraphan to the Black Spa.

and the sound of the trumpet will fill them with fire and spirit, They will draw near, and listen with attention aa great as that of hu ana lovers of music at a concert. Cows, also, are sucepti-* ble to the charms of music. I have watched cows in a field near a cburcb, and 4 when the organ is playing and the singing going on, the co^s will dray nearer and nearer to the wall that separates the field from the churchyard, and will stand listening gravely. We are told of a French state prisoner who begged, as a great fcvor, that ha might have the musical instrument oa which he played, to amuse himself in. the prison ; and what was his surprise, after he had played a few times, to se a some mice appear, and stay quietly hearkening to the piaying, anq at its conclusion returning to their holes. Nor was tnis all ; several large spiders came also, and remained during the musical performance, and then ascended to their corners. Otber instances have been known of spiders showing this same taste for music, and coming~oulf~ to listen to it. Perhaps when the ancients wrote the story of Orpheus, and told hotfbe charmed the brutes, they may have know something of this love of music implanted in the hearts of the dumb creation. The great sculling match between Trickett, of Australia, and Hanlon, of America, will be rowed in November. Both men are now in Eugland, and are settling down to work in real earnest, Tn consequence of Hanlon having lest the ' Hopbitter*' ' prize of £1000, through catching a si itch in bia side, there are many who doubt the cababiliits of the Yankee prevailing against Tricketb. But, putting his deteat aside bis past performance prove him to be a man of exceptionally good metal, and the match will likely prove one of the, most exciting that has ever take place on the Thames. At the burning of Professor Mommspn's library at Charlstenburg about £100.000 volumes were loat. Further, a number of highly precious ani rare manuscripts, among which were five borrowed from the libraries of Brealau, Heidelberg, and Vienna. Most of them were of th<j fourth and eight centuries. They were unique, acd are now totdlly and irrecoverably lost.