THE ANT. 515 



blit its whole fnpply of worms.' But the greater number of the ichneu* 

 men tribe are produced from the back of the caterpillar; and if it fur- 

 vives the worm ftate, they change into a chryfaiis, enclofed in its body. 

 Such is this fly, very terrible to the infecb tribe, but gf infinite fcrvicc 

 to mankind. The millions it kills in a fummer are inconceivable. 

 Without fuch a d'eftroyer, the fruits of the earth would only furniln a ban- 

 quet for the infedb race- 



THE ANT. 



IT is fome what furprifing, that almofl: every writer of antiquity fhould 

 defcribe this infect as labouring in the fummer, and feafting upori 

 the produce during winter. It Ihould feem, therefore, that in the 

 warmer climates, where winter is mild and fliort, this occurs^ but in 

 France and England they are torpid. 



Ants are of two or th* "kinds; fome red, fome black, fome with 

 flings, and others without. By their flings fome infiiifl wounds; others 

 fpurt from theif hinder parts an acid pungent liquor, which inflames 

 and burns the fkin like nettles. 



An ant is divided into the head, breaft and belly. In the head, arc 

 the eyes, black : under the eyes two fmall horns or feelers, of twelve 

 joints, covered with a fine fdky hair. The mouth has two crooked jaws, 

 proje<5cing outwards, ferrated like teeth. The breaft is covered with fine 

 iilky hair; from it proje<3: fix legs, ftrong and hairy, their extremities 

 armed with two frnail claws, which the animal ufes in climbing. The 

 belly reddiih, the body brown cheftnut colour, fliining, and covered with 

 extrem.ely fine hair. This animal i i. boM and aftiye, and fears not to 

 attack creatures ten times its ow-n magnitude. In the firft fine day of 

 April, the ant-hill fwarms with life, and myriads awaking from their 

 annual lethargy, prepare for the occupations of the feafon. At firft none 

 but the winglefs tribe appears; thefc are the working ants : the n^ales 

 and fem.ales, that have four large wings, are flower in their appearance. 

 Thus, like bees, they are divided into males, females, and neutrals. 

 The females are much the largtft ; the working ants the fmalleft. The 

 female alio differs by the colour and flrucSbure of her breaft, which is a 

 little browner than the common ant, and brighter than the male. In 

 eight or ten days after their appearance,' their labours are in fome for* 



wardncfs. 



