456 The Natural History of Se I borne 



they have caught, and the aureliae of smaller ants, which they 

 seize by violence. WHITE. 



In my "Naturalist's Calendar" for the year 1777, on Sep- 

 tember 6th, I find the following note to the article Flying 

 Ants: 



I saw a prodigious swarm of these ants flying about the top 

 of some tall elm-trees (close by my house) ; some were con- 

 tinually dropping to the ground as if from the trees, and 

 others rising up from the ground ; many of them were joined 

 together in copulation ; and I imagine their life is but short, 

 for as soon as produced from the egg by the heat of the 

 sun, they propagate their species, and soon after perish. 

 They were black, somewhat like the small black ant, and 

 had four wings. I saw also, at another place, a large sort 

 which were yellowish. On the eighth of September, 1785, I 

 again observed the same circumstance of a vast number of 

 these insects flying near the tops of the elms and dropping 

 to the ground. 



On the 2nd of March, 1777, I saw great numbers of ants 

 come out of the ground. MARKWICK. 



GLOW-WORMS. 



BY observing two glow-worms which were brought into the 

 field to the back in the garden, it appeared to us that these 

 little creatures put out their lamps between eleven and 

 twelve, and shine no more for the rest of the night. 



Male glow-worms attracted by the light of the candles 

 come into the parlour. WHITE. 



EARTH-WORMS. 



EARTH-WORMS make their casts most in mild weather about 

 March and April ; they do not lie torpid in winter, but come 

 forth when there is no frost; they travel about in rainy nights, 

 as appears from their sinuous tracks on the soft muddy soil, 

 perhaps in search of food. 



