83 



sufficiently peculiar, either to assist the propagation 

 or supply the nourishment of the insect. 



20. The Ant lays eggs like flies, from which are 

 hatched small worms without legs: these are sharp at 

 one end and blunt at the other; after a short time they 

 change inio a large white atireLa, vulgarly called Ants- 

 eggs, whereas they are larger than the ants themselves. 

 They move these at their pleasure. When an ant's 

 nest is disturbed, and -the aureiia scattered abroad, the 

 ^nts are at infinite pains to gather them and make them 

 a nest again. Nay, those of one nest will often do 

 this for the aureiia of andthcr. 



At the bottom of an ant's nest, which is built with 

 small pieces of dry earth, there is always a larfc 

 quantity of eggs, worms, and aureiia. The aureiia are 

 covered only with a thin skin, and if opened shew the 

 ant in its several stages toward perfection. 



In every nest, as in every bee. hive, there are three 

 kinds of the insect, males, females, and working ants 

 or labourers. These last are neither male nor female, 

 nor have any business but taking care of the young 

 brood. Male ants have four wings and three lucid 

 points on their head, and their eyes are larger than 

 those of the female or labourers : thy are nut found 

 in the nests at all seasons, but only at particular times. 

 It seems they are killed (like drone bees) as soon as the 

 Season for impregnating the females is over. 



The body of the female is larger and thicker than 

 that ot the male or labourer, and contains a great num- 

 ber of eggs, pi iced in regular lines. Sao has also the 

 three lucid points on her head, which seem to be three 

 eyes. 



The ant examined by the microscope appears a very 

 beautiful creature. Its head is adorned \vit twjiurns, 

 each having twelve points ; its jaw* are in.lenti'ii with 

 seven little teeth, winch exact Ij tally : they open side- 

 ways exceeding wide, by which means tue am is often 

 seen grasping and carrying away bodies of three times 

 its own bulk. It is naturally divided into the 



