2Sq insects. 



the butterfly, are their prey. They fpend the whole day in purfuit, and 

 have been {ten to devour three times their own fize in a fingle hour. 

 They feize their prey flying, with their fix claws, and eafily tear it to 

 pieces with their teeth. 



The males feek the females with great ardour ; their part is placed not 

 at t^e end of the tail, but under the breafl: ; that of the female lies in the 

 tail. When he finds himfelf fufficiently near the female, he feizes the 

 back of her head ; and fattening his claws upon her, turns his forky tail, 

 which he faftens round her neck, and fixes himfelf clofely and firmly, of- 

 ten for three or four hours. When he flies, fhe is obliged to fly with 

 him i he ftill diredls the way, and flie feems entirely guided by his mo* 

 tion, At lad, turning up the end of her tail to his breaft, her eggs re- 

 ceive the neceflary fecundation. An hour or two after, fiie flies to fome 

 njeighbouring pool to depofit her eggs. They continue in a reptile flate 

 for a year, and then are changed into a beautiful fly, refembling thg 

 parent. 



THE FORMICA-LEO, OR LION-ANT, 



WHEN it becomes an inhabitant of air, refembles that already 

 defcribedi its glofly wings, its voracious appetites, its manner 

 of "^'^-neration, are the fame. In its reptiles ftate it diff'ers. 



T le Lion- Ant, in its reptile fl:ate, is the fize of a common wood- 

 louie, but fomewhat broader;' has a longhead, and a roundifli body, 

 narrow towards the tail ; colour, dirty-grey, fpeckled with black ; the 

 body compofcrd of feveral flat rings, which flip one upon another. It has 

 fix feet, four fixed to the breafl, and two to the neck. The head is fmali 

 and flat, and has two little fmooth horns and feelers, hard, about a 

 quarter of an inch long, crooked at the ends: at their bafis are two 

 fmall black lively eyes, by which it can fee the fmaliefl: obje(5t, as is 

 eafily difcovercd by its fl:arting from every thing that approaches. 



This animal poflicflTes the mofi: ravenous appetites in nature. Its legs 

 only enable it to run backward ; fo that, be it never fo famillied and rapa- 

 cious (as it ever feems) its prey mufl: come to it, or rather into its fnares^ 

 Jtchufes a dry fandy place, at the foot of i^ wall, or under forpe flielter. 



