Obfcrvat'ions on Ants. 155 



to the acid liquor which the ants had ftied upon it. This 

 acid i'pirit was carefully examined by feveral experiments, aa 

 account of which was publifhcd in the Philofophica! Trarjf- 

 aftions for the year 1670. M. Tifcher appears to have been 

 the firft who afcertalned the nature of this acid, and this dif- 

 covery mull have appeared the more aftonirtiiqg, as it was 

 known that animals in general furniftied alkali and an urinous 

 fpirit. 



After this, chemifts hallened to analyfe ants and the va- 

 pours exhaled from them. Romberg extrafted from them, 

 by diftillation, abundance of acid, and (bowed it to the Aca- 

 demy of Sciences in 1712. Margraf foon obtained the fame 

 acid; but the learned Pruflian chemift confidered this acid 

 only in regard to its relation and combinations with other 

 chemical fubllances, and the foKuions it is capable of eff'ctl- 

 ing. This acid has a great refcmblance to that of radical 

 vinegar, though it docs nut refemble it in every thing: Neu- 

 mau firll perceived an odorous elTential oil, of a jieculiar fmell, 

 which, however, occailous no burning fenfation on the tongue. 

 Margraf obtained the fame fubtile oil, and another fat oil 

 fimilar to that of vegetables. M, Thouvencl drew from ants 

 both thefe oils, and a particular extract ; a refult of the mofl: 

 complete analyfis that ever had been made of thefe inl"e«Sts. 



The late M. Roux, the editor of the Journal de JSIedecine, paid 

 attention alfo to fhis object, and by his curious experiments 

 brought to light fome fa^Sls very little known. For example, 

 if an ant-hill be opened, and a living frog be exnofed in it, 

 the animal will die in lefs than four or five minutes, though 

 it has not been bit by the ants. M. Roux, being employed 

 in collecting ants to fill a bottle, perceived in the evening; that 

 liis lingers were fomewhat hot, that they fwelled and became 

 red ; next day the epidermis feparated from the (kin as if he 

 had applied a veficatory, and his fingers became entirely 

 peeled. It appears alfo, by M. Roux's experiments, that the 

 acid vapour of ants i> capable of futfocating them when they 

 arc (Imt up in a bottle. This may fupply fume hints foi* 

 Itifling their deftruftivc colonies by carefully clofing up the 

 apertures of anl-hilis and heaping e jrih above them. M. Rcnix 

 nicntioiis alfo an oblervalion iv.niiar to his own, wliich was 

 X 3 coaiuiu- 



