bog. J 
Ga ens US AYE 
AN ao: Aor T » Bagi. 
MY RoM-E L E ON. 
Charaéter of the Genus. 
The Mouru is form’d of Jaws, with two long Tufks. 
The ANTLERS are club fafhion’d:; and there are four long Feelers. 
The WinGs hang down. 
The Tax is arm’d with a pair of Knippers,.in the Male. 
1.1 F AE + GeRaboev aA N F-E A TER: 
MYRMELEO FORMICARUM. 
Plate 5: 
In many of’ the wing’d'Infects, their prior form of the Worm, or 
Reptile, rifing immediately from the egg, demands a fhare of our at- 
tention, with the Infect in its more perfect and more beautiful ap- 
pearance ; in the prefent kind, our greateft. admiration is demanded 
in that lefs perfect ftate. The Butterflies arife from Caterpillars ; 
the Beetles from fix-footed Worms; and the Dragon-flies from Infects 
without Wings, which fwim about in water. The creature under 
confideration. here, approaches to the Dragon Fly in kind ; and in 
its figure, in the Reptile State ;. being a broad and bloated hexapode ; 
but inhabiting the dryeft earth. 
It is known that-birds and beafts of prey can endure great and long- 
continued hunger; the fierceft moft. This creature, ally’d to the 
Savages in its manners, can alfo bear their abftinence : La. Hire, of the 
Paris Academy, obferv’d about fourfcore years ago, that the creature. 
could bear a feven months faft ; twas to him we owe the firft notice 
of this Infect ; fo well defcribed foon after by Vallifniers, and Pou- 
part; and fo much fpoken of, and fo poorly underftood, by the petty 
retailers of natural knowledge fince. 
The Reptile State of this pretty Fly, known by the name Formi- 
caleo, is a coarfe Infe@, of a pale yellow, ftreak’d with brown, and 
varied with fome black tufts of hairs ; but ufually it is {o.covered with 
ditt, that it looks brown: its habitation is under ground; it forms a pit, 
like a funnel, of dry duft, and lies conceal’d in. the centre of it, to. 
catch the Ants, or other little creatures, that fall. into it. 
Its Head is broad, and flat, and has a pair of Tufks, or Horns; or, 
by whatever name we may call parts unknown to larger animals ; thefe 
are 
