TUE AMAZON-ANT. 



513 



they attach fragments of different substances ; thus constituting a 

 strong defence against the attempts of their enemies. Some of the 

 species employ, for this purpose-, bits of leaves, straw, grass, or rushes ; 

 others adopt the shells of small aquatic snails ; others, grains of sand ; 

 and others employ several different kinds mixed together. They 

 contrive to make their habitations nearly in equilibrium with the water, 

 by adding a bit of wood when too heavy, and some heavier substance 

 when too light. 



OF THE MYRMELEON, OR ANT-EATER TRIBE. 



The antennas of these insects are about the length of the thorax, and 

 thickest at the tip. The mouth is armed with jaws, teeth, and six 

 feelers. The wings are deflected ; and the abdomen of the male 

 terminates in a forceps composed of two straight filaments. 



The Myrmeleons constitute a tribe of insects, which, from their 

 extremely singular habits, whilst in a larva state, are highly inter- 

 esting. 



The larv<x are hairy, with six feet ; and have strong, exserted, and 

 toothed jaws. They prey with savage ferocity on ants, and some of 

 the smaller insects ; and, for the purpose of ensnaring their prey, they 

 form a kind of funnel or pit in light earth, at the bottom of which 

 they lie buried. 



The chrysalis is enclosed in a little ball of sand or earth, the particles 

 of which are agglutinated together by a viscid matter, which the larva 

 mixes with it previously to its change. 



THE AMAZON-ANT. 



The Amazon-ant, however, deviates from others in this respect: — 

 their neuters procure auxiliaries by open violence, of their own caste 

 but of different species. When the !:eat of the day begins to lessen, 

 and exactly at the same hour for several days, they quit their nest, 

 and advance in a solid column, more or less numerous according to 

 their population, upon the ant-hill they mean to attack. Into it they 

 soon penetrate, notwithstanding the opposition of the inhabitants, 

 seize the larvae and nymphs of the neuters peculiar to the invaded 

 community, and transport them in the same warlike order to their 

 own garrison, where they are attended to by other neuters of their 

 own species, who have been either metamorphosed there, or brought 

 as ca})tives from their original dwelling. These constitute what are 

 called mixed ant-hills. 



Our northern species differ from those of the torrid zone, in re- 

 maining torpid during winter, so that they require no sustenance, and 

 accordingly lay up no store; but the others, which continue active, 

 make provision for the evil day. Their food consists of fruit, insects 

 or their larvae, dead bodies of small quadrupeds or birds, aud sweets 

 of every descripti ^n within their reach. 



