THE FORMIC A-LEO, OR LION- ANT. 281 



to preferve its labours from rain. A heavy clogged earth would defeat 

 its labour. When it commences the hole for its trap, it bends the 

 hinder part of its body. Which is pointed, and works backward, making 

 a circular furrow ; within this firft it digs a fccond, a third, and others 

 always Icfs than the preceding. Then it begins to deepen its hole, fink- 

 ing it lower and lower in the fand, which it throws with its horns, or 

 feelers, toward the edges. This hole is always a circle, and refembles 

 an inverted funnel. When this infe6t is quite young, its firll pit is very 

 fmall; as it grows, it makes a larger. It is generally two inches deep, 

 and as much in diameter. The infidious inf«:(fl places itfelf in ambulli, 

 hiding in the bottom under the fand, fo that its two horns encircle the 

 bottom of the pit. The fides of this pit-fall are made of the mod loofc 

 and crumbling materials ; fothat fcarce any infefl can climb up, that has 

 once got down to the bottom. If then an ant, a wood-loufe, or fma'U 

 caterpillar walk too near the edge of this precipice, the fand gives way 

 beneath them, and they fall to the bottom to inevitable deftru6lion. The 

 fall of a fingle grain of fand gives notice at the bottom, and the murderer 

 never fails to Tally forth to feize its prey. If the ant or wood-loufe is too 

 nimble, and runs up th^ fides of the pit-fall, the lion-ant, by means of 

 its broad head and feelers, throws up a fliower of fand, which falling oa 

 the ftruggling captive with tremendous weight, once more crufhcs it 

 down to the bottom j then no efforts can releafe it : the lion-ant feizcs ic 

 with its feelers, which are hollow, and darting them both into its body, 

 fucks out all the little animal's juices with the utmoft rapacity. The 

 prey thus reduced to a hulk, his next care is to- remove the body from 

 its cell, left its appearance might warn others of danger ; he takes up the 

 wafted trunk with his feelers, and throws it, with wonderful ftrength, at 

 leaft fix inches from, the edge of his hole; and fets about mending the 

 breaches his fortifications had received in the laft en2ae:ement. Nothino- 

 can abate its induftry, its vigilance, its patience, or its rapacity. It will 

 work for a week at its pit-fall j it will continue on the watch a month, 

 expeding the approach of prey ; and, if it comes in plenty, will quit the 

 infeft it has newly killed, to kill another : yet is furprifingly patient of 

 hunger, fome having been kept in a box with fand fix months without 

 feeding. 



o 



When it is to change its form, it quits its ufual rapacious habits, but 

 keeps its induftry. It furrows up the fand all round irregularly ; teftify- 

 ing thofe workings and violent agitations which moft infers exhibit pre- 

 vious to their transformation. Thefe animals are produced in autumn. 



Part VI. No. 39. ^ B 9,r4 



