Skip to main content

mastodon - Link to source

Illustration 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.

A colorful, cluttered Victorian illustration of "wonderful fishes of the sea" there are angler fish, eels, sharks, and a diver in an old style suit. Many of the creatures are bizarre and unreal looking.

reshared this

in reply to myrmepropagandist

myrmepropagandist
mastodon - Link to source
myrmepropagandist
• •

There. 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.)

"Police ant making an arrest" An engraving of one ant carrying another by her mandibles with her body folded up like a pupae so she is easy to carry.
This entry was edited (11 hours ago)

reshared this

in reply to myrmepropagandist

Dan Piponi
mastodon - Link to source
Dan Piponi
• •
Police ants imply criminal ants and I'm disappointed they don't exist.
in reply to Dan Piponi

myrmepropagandist
mastodon - Link to source
myrmepropagandist
• •
Ant crime is, in fact, a big problem. But as with humans, it mostly involves trying to do coups, and take over nests of other ants.
This entry was edited (10 hours ago)
in reply to myrmepropagandist

Roger Schürch
mastodon - Link to source
Roger Schürch
• •
@dpiponi "worker policing" exist. It occurs when workers try to reproduce (steal reproduction from the queen, as it were). Here is a paper on the phenomenon: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsp…
@Dan Piponi
in reply to myrmepropagandist

Becca 🌳🚀🛀
mastodon - Link to source
Becca 🌳🚀🛀
• •
Thank you for the image of ants with little bobby hats, saying "well, well, well" a lot.
in reply to myrmepropagandist

Dr. Gravitas
mastodon - Link to source
Dr. Gravitas
• •
I knew Victorian era folks projected their own social mores on to animals, but this is just ridiculous XD
in reply to myrmepropagandist

cricket_bacon
mastodon - Link to source
cricket_bacon
• •
This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you sharing it. Please share more if possible. 😀
in reply to cricket_bacon

myrmepropagandist
mastodon - Link to source
myrmepropagandist
• •

@cricket_bacon

I will. I've been watching for an affordable copy for a long time and one popped up today. All of the plates look like they are in good condition so this should be fun.

@cricket_bacon
in reply to myrmepropagandist

Sarah E Bourne
mastodon - Link to source
Sarah E Bourne
• •
That red fella with the big mouth in the bottom left looks like something from Sgt. Pepper's!
⇧