8 ANATURAL HISTORY 



and to be awake and lively In Summer : During the Months of 

 their Reft, a quantity of Oil is laid up in them for their Defence 

 againfl the CoM, and in proportion to the D^^grees of it, which 

 they are to fuftain ; whence it is, that the Trees of the northern 

 Climates fo much abound with Oil. 



N the other hand, there are Reptiles and Infedls that have 

 Senfe enough to lay up Winter-Store in Summer, as the Bee, 

 JVaJpy Field-Moufe, &c. a Property foreign to the antient Houfe 

 of Serpents. 



1 N Summer, the Bees labour hard for Winter Provifion : As 

 foon as the Air grows mild and warm, they are out betimes, and 

 gather their Harveft from the Simples of the Fields, which jthey 

 fuck into their Bodies, and upon their Return to the Hive they 

 difgorge it, as Pigeons do their Food wherewith they feed their 

 Young. When the Bees have iili'd their Storehoufe with the De- 

 licacies of Nature, they lock the Doors, which they feal up with 

 delicate white Wax, to prevent the Emanation of the Honey, 

 which is a vegetable Juice : The Combs in which their Treafure 

 is lodg'd, are geometrically nice, and exceed the moil exquifue 

 Art of Man. 



The Ants alfo in this refpe6l, are remarkable for Penetration 

 and Forefight. In America are Ants which raife Hillocks four or 

 five Foot high, and have fuch a way of cementing the Earth 

 about them, that 'tis as firm as Lime and Stone, which prote6ts 

 them againfl the Ant-Bears^ or Pi fm ire-eaters ; /. e, a kind of 

 Creatures as big as Dogs, that feed on thefe Infecfts. 



One obferves, that the Spaniards left yamaica, and went to 

 Cuba, for this Reafon among others, becaufe their'jChildrens Eyes 

 were eaten by thefe Ants, when l^^t by themfelves in the 

 Cradle *. 



Ceylon in thx EaJi^Indies produces feveral forts of remarkable 

 Ants, particularly a large red kind, which make their Nefis on 

 the Boughs of great Trees, with Leaves wrapt together in Clufters, 

 in which they lay their Eggs: And another fort call'd Vacos^ 

 whofe Hinder-part is white, and the Head red 5 thefe fwarm 

 over the Land and devour every thing, but Stone and Iron : They 

 creep on Houfe-vvalls, and always build an Arch over themfelves 3 

 on thefe their Poultry live chiefly; feme of them bite defperately. 



To 



* Sir Hans Sloans hitroduSlion to his Voyag. p. 68. 



