100 FECUNDATION OF ANTS. 
the dust, and sport in the grass. With 
some, the junction takes place previous 
to their reaching the ground; with 
others, it is effected upon the plants 
where they rest; some few disengage 
themselves from their companions, and, 
mounting in the air, rejoin a cloud of 
other winged ants, collected near the 
top of a tree, around which they make 
continual evolutions. <A little further 
off, I perceive other assemblages of these 
winged insects, but of a different species; 
they appear at a less height than the 
former, and somewhat resemble the 
swarming of bees. ‘Lhe term of swarm, 
however, does not strictly apply to this 
concourse of insects, who have no fur- 
ther object than that of meeting each 
other, and effecting their union in the 
air, and who do not assemble for the 
purpose of founding a new colony. I 
shall, notwithstanding, use this expres- 
sion, when speaking of a numerous as- 
semblage of ants, who fly about with a 
buzzing sound, without separating. I 
presently perceived I was surrounded by 
