48 HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



feet. This new difficulty the labourers have now to over- 

 come ; first, with the utmost gentleness stripping the an- 

 tennae and palpi ; then the legs, the wings, and lastly the 

 body. The next care is to feed the newly -born insect, for 

 which process it always appears in readiness. 



When all the newly-matured ants have thus been eman- 

 cipated, the labourers carry away the empty cocoons and 

 skins to the furthest part of the exterior of the nest, and 

 sometimes take them to a considerable distance. For some 

 time the new-born ants remain under the careful superin- 

 tendence of the labourers : they are attended in all their 

 wanderings about the nest, and are made acquainted with 

 all its galleries and chambers : the wings of the males and 

 females, previously folded together, are extended, and this 

 is always accomplished with such skill and tenderness that 

 these delicate members are never injured by the operation ; 

 in fine, these founders of future colonies are in all respects 

 served with unremitting attention until their final departure 

 from the nest. 



It need scarcely be observed, that besides the males and 

 females, or winged ants, numerous labourers are continu- 

 ally emerging from the cocoons, and these are in every 

 respect similar to the other labourers which have been 

 taking charge of them ; and as soon as their limbs have 

 attained sufficient strength and firmness, they join their 

 nurses in the cares and labours of the community. We 

 have now traced the history of the ants, and seen the care 

 which has been bestowed on them up to the moment of 

 their having obtained wings, and the power of transporting 

 themselves from place to place ; let us now observe them 

 under their altered condition. In the autumn we frequently 

 observe one of their hillocks closely covered with a liv- 

 ing mass of winged ants, which continue to promenade, 

 as it were, over its entire surface : they mount on every 



