The Natural Hiftory of JAMAICA. mt 
GCrAzr. Vir 
Of Infects with membranaceous Wings, as Ants, Bees, Wafps, Flies, 
and Guats. 
LY ‘Ormica maxima nigra, alata, circa arborum truncos & ramos nidificans. 
Tab. 238. Pragrandes formice, Merian. Met. Inf, Surinam. p. 18. 
Uffa ete Abbeville p. 255. An Araran. Ej. ib? Formica edules. Leet. p. 333s 
& 379. Gros Fourmies, Capiana, Roulox. Baro p. 21§. Poux de Bois, Tertre. 
f: 345. Rochefort, p. 270. Labat.{T. 2. p. 331. where they are faid to feed 
Poultry. Formica volans, Marcgr. p. 252, Fourmis noires, Tertre. p. 344. 
An Fourmis Chiens. ej, tb 
Thefe, which are very large, black and winged Ants, to avoid the 
great Rains which fall in fome Months, and cover the Plains feveral 
Inches deep in Water, make themfelves Nefts on Trees with a cover’d Wa 
for them to go up onthe Lee Side of the Tree. Thefe Nefts are round- 
ifh on the out Side, plaifter’d and fmooth, made of light brown Earth, 
and are larger thana Bufhel, and inwardly have many finuous ,Caverns 
or Lodgings communicating one with another, as exprefs’d in the Figure. 
Tab. 238. The Spaniards in the Weft-Indies have a very highly valued 
Medicated Earth call’d Makimaké, which I think may be made of this 
Nett. 
I faw once on the Red-hills a Cave wherein were Indian Urns, and 
where was buried the Body fuppos’d to be of a Spaniard or Indian which 
had been all eaten, excepting the Bones, by the Ants who had their Nefts 
in this Cave. They had even enter’d the Thigh Ranec by the round 
cartilaginous End, and catcn into the Hollow to devour the Marrow 
contain’d inthem, If youthrufta Thigh Bone of any Creature into a 
common Ants Neft, the Wood Ants will come and kill the other Ants for 
Love of the Marrow in the Bones. If you put Sugar into a Room troubled 
with Bugs in Sameica, the Ants will come for Love of the Sugar and at 
the fame Time deftroy the Bugs. _ 
Ants far larger, building Nefts like Bee-hives with Avenues or Galle- 
ries, going out infenfibly to avoid Cockroches and Lizards watching 
them. Ligon, p. 65. 
The great Antsare fricafied, Abbeville of Noronha, _ 
Thefe Ants are fo large as to be fold in the Markets in New Granada, 
wnere they are carefully look’d after and brought up for Food. Lees. 
P- 333, and 379. . 
The Ants in Siam neftle in Trees becaufe of the Inundations and 
Water, Loubere. p. 44. 
Indians bake their earthen Ware by the Nefts, and Surgeons fweat 
hydropical People with them. Thefe Ants take Wing, Tertre. 
‘They cut and throw down the Leaves of Treesfor their Young, de- 
ftroy every thing, and even Men themfelves, Merian, where is a very 
good Cut, or Figureof them upona Tree. p, 18. | 
Thefe and all Ants (in Neronba) eat the Seeds fow’d in the Ground un- 
lefs look’d after, Abbeville. 
Thefe Ants will deftroy all the Seeds of a Field fow’d with Tobacco, 
Tertre. 
Negroes feed on the Abdomen of thefe Ants in Brafile, Marcgr. 
Kkk II: 
