NATURAL HISTORY — INSECTS. 243 



the ant does assume the form of a chrysalis 

 or pupa, before it becomes a winged animal. 



Hal. — It is true, that the immediate tran- 

 sition of the maggot is into a pupa, then into 

 an ant, which is furnished with a kind of 

 case, from which the wings emerge for their 

 perfect transformation into the fly or imago 

 state. The males die soon after the sexual 

 intercourse; the females, when impregnated, 

 lose their wings, and either voluntarily or by 

 force enter into society with neuter or work- 

 ing ants, for the purpose of raising a new 

 generation. 



PoiET. — You are perfectly right; and 

 though it would be irrelevant to our present 

 object, I could almost wish, for the sake of 

 amusing our friends, that you would detail 

 to us some other parts of the marvellous his- 

 tory of these wonderful animals, which, if 

 not so vvell authenticated, might be supposed 

 a philosophical romance. Such as the neu- 

 ter or working ants feeding each other and 

 the offspring; the manner in which they 

 make, defend, and repair their dwellings, 

 provide their food, watch and attend to the 

 R 2 



