( 10 ) 



of fund : but, at firft, I had beftowed my attention only on thofe 

 particles which I had taken from the Ants, conceiving them to be of 

 ufe to me in my enquiry. 



To this end I had brought with me feveral new glafles, in which 

 I colleAed fome of each of the before mentioned forts, as flir as 

 I was able, and, as I had only my fpedlacles with me, but which 

 magnified objeds confiderably, I examined, after the Ants had 

 almoll all run away, the earth (which confilled of clay and land 

 mixed together), and found in it feveral very fmall white particles, 

 which, I concluded, had been left there by the Ants, mixed with 

 fome grains of fand. 



Upon my retiu'n home, I examined all with the microfcope, and 

 found, that thofe which approached nearelt to the likenefs of Ants, 

 had not aflumed their perfe6l figure, though of the full fize of 

 an Ant ; and the only difference confifted in this, that they were 

 entirely white, and without any motion, and their claws and horns 

 lay difpofed in regular order, in like manner as we obferve in 

 caterpillars, previous to their change into flying infe6ls, thovigh 

 thefe, of which I am now fiicaking, were not inclofed in any mem- 

 brane. Thefe are, doubtlefs, what are generally called Ants' eggs. 



Others of thefe white particles, which were alfo of the fize of an Ant, 

 and approached nearer the fliape of an egg (of which fort I found 

 many), I perceived to be fliort thick maggots, having in their 

 bodies a black fpot, which, probably, mofi: perfons would conclude 

 to be the young Ant within. Of thefe I carried many about with 

 me in my pocket, and obferved, that before their change ap- 

 proached, they purged ofFthis black matter, which was their excre- 

 ments. I faw fome of them, within twenty four hours, and others 

 within forty eight hours, put off their fkin, and change into a white 

 cryfalis. 



Others of thefe particles, or eggs, were fmaller and fmaller, till 

 fome of them I found lefs than a grain of fand ; and, among the 

 fmalleft of the particles which I had taken from the Ants, or found 



