This is interesting, but I wonder if PETA will object:

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I found this article facinating:

Stilts confirm ants count their paces
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 30/06/2006)

A bizarre experiment that involved putting ants on stilts has demonstrated that they count paces to measure distances.

Researchers know that desert ants use light cues from the sky to orient themselves on their journeys back to their nests but how they determine exact distances has been uncertain.

An ant walks with stilts glued on to its legs

An ant walks with stilts glued on to its legs

Drs Matthias Wittlinger and Harald Wolf at University of Ulm, Germany, and Prof Rudiger Wehner in Zurich, altered the legs on a group of ants to test the idea that they use stride length.

Some had pig bristles glued on to their legs, while others had legs shortened by amputation.

First some marched on normal legs to a feeder, where they were placed on stilts and sent home.

The stiltwalkers misjudged the 10-metre distance back and overshot the nest entrance.

When the experiment was repeated with the short-legged ants, they reached their goal too early, the scientists report today in the journal Science.

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My husband says he's a charter member of PETA. That is, People Eating Tasty Animals

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My Favorite Vegetarian Recipe

First, catch one vegetarian; Gut, drain and skin in a standard manner for large game.

Remove head, hands and feet, reserve with skin on for final presentation.

Given the lean quality of most vegetarian flesh, stewing is an excellent cooking method. Poaching or braising will also work well. Roasting, frying, or broiling will require basting, tenderizing or added fat for best results.


Veggie Stew
Ingredients (quantities are flexible, use your judgement):

• one vegetarian
• water
• red wine
• rosemary
• thyme
• a few juniper berries (optional)
• black pepper
• pearl barley (optional)
• carrots
• parsnips
• mushrooms (wild preferable)
• celery
• green beans
• worchestershire sauce
• bay leaves
• bouquet garni
• Cube meat into one inch square, leaving excess in larger chunks for freezing.

Marinate in herbs (recommend rosemary,thyme, pepper, and perhaps juniper berries) and good red wine for several hours, to help tenderize.

Set water to boil in an appropriately sized cauldron or pot. You may need an extra large burner or open fire if you're making a very large quantity.

Add several bones to the water and boil briskly.

Brown meat lightly in small batches in a large skillet with butter and copped onion. Brown lightly and drain when finished on a paper towel.

Remove bones from water and add barley, if desired.

Add carrots, parsnips, and meat.

Add bay leaves, bouquet garni, and a few generous splashes of worchestershire sauce and more red wine.

Add celery, mushrooms (wild recommended), chopped onions and firm fresh green beans.

When done, serve hot with crusty bread. Can be presented in large tureen with seasonal greens or flowers intermingled with head, hands and feet arrayed around the serving bowl.

Especially festive for a holiday meal!

Next time: Vegetarian sausage and a modern haggis, plus making your own parchment!

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The author of this gem prefers to remain anonymous.