Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by NatureWood, J. G. (John George)
History
Nature's Teachings: Human Invention Anticipated by Nature
Wood, J. G. (John George)
Inventions; Natural history
It often happens that on their march they come to water, and, as they
always advance with total disregard of difficulties, they must needs
invent some very ingenious way of overcoming the difficulty. One of them
climbs a branch which overhangs the water, clasps the undermost twig
very tightly, and allows itself to hang from it. Another at once
follows, and suspends itself from its comrade in like manner, the
powerful and sicklelike jaws doing their duty as well as the legs. A
chain of Ants is thus speedily formed. When the lowermost Ant touches
the water, it merely spreads all its legs, and awaits the development of
events. Another runs over it, holds to the first Ant by its hind-legs,
and stands in the water, spreading its limbs as much as possible over
the surface. Ant after Ant descends, until quite a long chain of the
insects is formed, and is swept downwards with the stream. By slow
degrees the chain is lengthened, until the Ants at its head are able to
seize the bank on-the opposite side of the water. When they have
succeeded in doing so, the bridge is complete, and over that living
bridge will pour a whole army of Driver-ants.
Even in those cases where this mode of travelling would be too perilous
on account of the rapid torrent, the Ants contrive to suspend themselves
in long strings until they effect a communication with the trees of the
opposite bank.
It is, perhaps, needless to give more than a passing reference to the
Suspension-bridges made by Spiders, by means of which they can traverse
considerable distances. The similar bridge of the Little Ermine
Caterpillar has already been mentioned, when treating of the subject of
Double Walls.
ARCHITECTURE
CHAPTER IV.
LIGHTHOUSES.--THE DOVETAIL.--THE DAM.--SUBTERRANEAN DWELLINGS.--THE
PYRAMID.--MORTAR, PAINT, AND VARNISH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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