PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. lOl 



affirms that, if they wisli to emigrate, they will construct 

 a liviiiff bridge in this manner : — One individual first 

 fixes itself to a piece of wood by means of its jaws, and 

 remains stationary: with this a second connects itself; 

 a third takes hold of the second, and a fourth of the 

 third, and so on, till a long connected line is formed 

 fastened at one extremity, which floats exposed to the 

 wind, till the other end is blown over so as to fix itself 

 to the opposite side of tlie stream, when the rest of the 

 colony pass over upon it, as a bridge''. This is the 

 process, as far as I can collect it from her imperfect 

 account : — as she is not always very correct in her state- 

 ments, I regarded this as altogether fabulous, till I 

 met with the following history of a similar proceeding 

 in De Azara, which induces me to give more credit 

 to it. 



He tells us, that in low districts in South America, 

 that are exposed to inundations, conical hills of earth 

 may be observed, about three feet high, and very near 

 to each other, which are inhabited by a little black ant. 

 When an inundation takes place, they are heaped to- 

 gether out of the nest into a circular mass, about a foot 

 in diameter and four fingers in depth. Thus they re- 

 main floating upon the water while the inundation 

 continues. One of the sides of the mass which they 

 form is attached to some sprig of grass, or piece of 

 wood; and when the waters are retired, they return to 

 their habitation. When they wish to pass from one 

 plant to another, they may often be seen formed into 

 a bridge, of two palms length, and of the breadth of a, 



' Insect. Surinam, p. 18. In her plate the ants are represented ?Q^ 

 cojiiiccted. 



