I 



NOTES ON THE ANT OP SCRIPTURE, 186 



The light we arc to produce is brought from a far country, and in the 

 opinion of some, may prove but a rushlight; admitted. Let it be remembered 

 that a rushlight is very commonly used in the ascent of literal stairs, and 

 surely a metaphorical rushlight may be equally well employed in the same 

 manner, in the case of metaphorical ones. The bearer of the lamp is a 

 veteran in science, and is well known to every Naturalist. His name is a 

 "household word" at our British Associations, Entomological Societies, etc.; 

 and we of Marischal College and University, recently manifested our respect 

 for him, and our appreciation of his acquirements, literary as well as scientific, 

 by electing him our lord Rector. We speak of Colonel Sykes, and we could say 

 much more about him, and about the speech delivered by him at his Instal- 

 lation, were it not that we hear a voice desiring us to show the light, in 

 order that it may be known whether it will prove an Ignis jatuus "a will o' 

 the wisp," or not. Here it is then — ''In June, 1829," for we prefer the ori- 

 ginal statement, ''in my morning walk I observed more than a score of little 

 heaps of grass seeds, (^Panicura,) in several places on uncultivated land near 

 the parade ground, near Poonah, where I was stationed; each heap contained 

 about a handful. On examination I found they were raised by a species of 

 Ant, {Atta providens,) hundreds of which were employed in bringing up the 

 seeds to the surface from a store below; the grain had probably got wet at 

 the setting in of the monsoon, and the Ants had taken advantage of the first 

 sunny day to bring it up to dry. The store must have been laid up from 

 the time of the ripening of the grass-seeds, in January and February." Is 

 this light enough on the subject? we venture to think that it is, and trust 

 that it may prove satisfactory. Had the observation been made in the Holy 

 Land, we should have considered it as completely so. And we feel assured 

 that the deficiensy comes from the want of a diligent investigation, by some 

 well qualified Entomologist, of the insect tribes of that memorable country. 

 Would that some one would set out, with the enthusiasm of a crusader, 

 and bring us back the birds, the beasts, the insects, and the shells of Palestine, 

 as the celebrated Hasselquist departed, at the desire of Linnaeus, to obtain the 

 floral treasures that awaited him in the land of Canaan. Yet we know not 

 but some Naturalist may have seen the very species intended by Solomon, 

 without making his discovery public, such a supposition receiving considerable 

 support from many facts. Let us mention a recent one: — M. de Sauley, in 

 1850, or thereabout, explored the Holy Land, and was accompanied by 

 geveral entomologists and botanists; what naturalist would not consider it 

 tantalizing to be informed in every second page or so, of this gentleman's 

 interesting work, which has recently appeared, that plants and insects were found 

 in abundance; that the exploratory searches for coleoptera, lepidoptera, etc., 

 •proved very successful, without being told, except occasionally, and in very 

 general terms, what insects were found and what plants discovered. We trust 

 to hear more of these discoveries, however; and may possible come upon some 

 of the Atta family, or perhaps be told that the AUa providens itself extends 



