THE YELLOW ANT. 45 



demand and receive their food; lengthening their bodies, 

 and with their mouths sucking the mouths of the labourers, 

 as little birds stretch out their necks and open their bills 

 on the approach of their parents. The labourer opens his 

 mouth, and gives to his little charge the required supply. 

 As the larvae increase in size and strength, the aliment pro- 

 vided for them becomes daily more solid and nutritious. 



When the larvae have attained their full growth they spin 

 a silken covering, called by entomologists a cocoon : in this 

 they completely enclose themselves, and remain perfectly 

 quiescent without receiving any nutriment, awaiting the 

 final change when they are to assume the form of perfect 

 ants. This stage of its existence is the pupa, but is com- 

 monly, although very erroneously, called the egg. " Ants' 

 eggs," as they are vulgarly called, are a favourite food for 

 partridges and pheasants, and are eagerly sought after by 

 persons who rear these birds from the egg. The cocoon 

 containing the pupa is of a long cylindrical form, of a dirty 

 white colour, and is perfectly without motion. The pupa 

 within the cocoon has now attained the form which it will 

 finally possess ; its limbs are distinct, but want strength 

 and consistence, and are covered by a skin which has yet 

 to be cast. In colour it changes from white to a pale 

 yellow, then to red, and finally becomes almost black ; its 

 wings, if a male or female, are distinctly visible, but do not 

 assume the shape, size, or character, they are hereafter 

 destined to bear. 



As the laying of eggs continues for some weeks, and 

 each egg is hatched, as before stated, at a period of fifteen 

 days, it necessarily follows that the family, although equally 

 progressing towards maturity, must be in different stages, 

 so that eggs, larvae of all sizes, and pupae, abound in the 

 nest at the same time. When the rays of the sun warm 

 the exterior of a nest thus stocked with inhabitants, a most 



