myrmepropagandistIllustration from "The living world: a complete natural history of the world's creatures" by J.W. Buel was first published in 1891 (I just scored a copy!)
I'm obsessed with these deep sea creatures that are based on rumors heresy and globsters from fishing nets:
I also have some choice words about the inaccuracy of the section on ants.
myrmepropagandistThere. Is. No. Such. Thing. As. A. "Police Ant"
The strange thing about this engraving? It's a very accurate deception of ants performing "social carrying" I guess they gave it a silly caption to make it more interesting?
Someone was really observing ants and it was not whoever was setting the text.
(A better caption: An ant carries her sister to a new nest. She may be too young to navigate on her own without getting exhausted or lost, or she may be injured and in need of rest.)