84 



tli e breast, and the belly, each joined to the other by 

 a slender ligament ; from the breast proceed three legs 

 on each side. The whole body is cased over with a 

 sort of armour, so hard as scarce to be penetrated by 

 a lancet, and thick set with shining whitish bristles. 



They bring out not corn, but their young,every day, 

 and spread them near their nest, in little heaps, on a 

 kind of dry earth provided for that purpose. They 

 carry them back at night ; but it is observed, they 

 never bring them out unless in a day that promises to 

 be fair. In the prognostics of this they shew great sa- 

 gacity. Where it is dangerous to expose them in the 

 day time, by reason of the birds, they vary their rule, 

 bringing them out in the night, and carrying them 

 back in the morning. 



They do not eat at all in winter, but sleep like most 

 other insects. There is a strait hole in every ant's nest 

 about halt an inch deep, after which it goes sloping into 

 their magazine, which is a different place from that 

 where they eat and rest. Over the hole they lay a flat 

 stone or tile to secure them from their great enemy 

 the rain. In a fair day the hole is open ; but when 

 they foresee it will rain, and every night, the cover is 

 drawn over with great ingenuity as well as labour. 

 Fifty of the strongest of them surround the stone, and 

 draw and shove in concert : the like pains they take 

 every morning to thrust it backagaiu. 



An ant never goes into any nest but her own, if she 

 did she would be severely punished ; and if she return- 

 ed again after this warning, the others would tear her 

 in pieces ; therefore they never attempt it but in the 

 last extremity : sometimes they will rather suffer them- 

 selves to be taken. 



Ants do not bite as is vulgarly supposed ; but red 

 ants have a sting which expresses a corrosive liquor 

 tfeat raises a slight inflammation. Tiie black ants have 

 BO sting. 



On opening an ant-hill, a great quantky of eggs is 

 usually found : they looii like the scatterings of fine 

 ait ? and are too minute to be seen distinctly by the 



