20 ANTS. 



as the others, and with as little appearance 

 of fear or constraint. 



Most insects become torpid when their 

 temperature is much reduced. When it ap- 

 proaches the freezing point, they fall into a 

 deep lethargy, and in that state require no 

 food. Ants present a remarkable exception 

 to this rule ; for they are not benumbed till 

 the thermometer has sunk to 27" of Fahren- 

 heit, or 5 degrees below the freezing point. 

 They therefore have need of a supply of pro- 

 visions during the greatest part of the win- 

 ter ; although it is true that they are satis- 

 fied with much less than in the summer. 

 Their principal resource, however, under 

 these circumstances, is still the same, namely, 

 the honey of the aphis; which natural se- 

 cretion appears to be expressly designed for 

 the subsistence of Ants. What confirms this 

 view of the intentions of nature is, that the 

 aphis becomes torpid at precisely the same 

 temperature as the Ant ; a coincidence which 

 it is hardly possible to attribute to mere 

 chance. The winter haunts of the aphis^ 

 which are chiefly the roots of trees and 

 shrubs, are well knomi to their pursuers ; 



