31$ INSECTS. 



wardnefs. The males partake not in the drudgeries of the ftatc, but pur- 

 fue the females with great affiduity. 



In Englan;), ant-hills are formed with but little regularity. In the 

 fouth of Europe thev offer a fight highly worthy curiofity. They are 

 generally in the neighbourhood of fome large tree and a ftream of water. 

 The lii ft, as a proper place for getting food ; the other, for fupplying 

 moifture. The ant-hill refembles a fugar-loaf in fhape, three feet high, 

 compofed of leaves, wood, fand, earth, gum, and grains of corn, united 

 compaftly, with galleries to the bottom, and winding ways within. To 

 the water, and to the tree, are many paths worn by conftant affiduity; along 

 thefe the bufy infeds pafs and re-palk continually from May till the. 

 autumnal bad weather. 



Their chief employment is procuring a fufficiency of food for all the 

 community. They live on various provifion, fmall infe6ts, fweets of ail 

 kinds. TLey feldom think of the community, till themfelves are firft 

 latiatcd. Having found a juicy fruit, they fwallow what they can, then 

 tearing it in piece?, carry home their load. If they meet with an infect 

 above their match, feveralwill fill on it atonce^and each will carry off part 

 of the fpoil. If they meet any thing that is too heavy for one, feveral 

 will unite their force, fome dragging, others pufhing. If one makes a 

 lucky difcovery, it will give advice to others, and the whole republic 

 will put themfelves in motion at once. If one is kflled, fome will carry 

 him off to a great diftance, to prevent obftrudiion to the general fpiric 

 of induftry. 



After a few days of fine weather, the female ants lay their eggs. They 

 -are carried, as loon as laid, to the fafeft fituation at the bottom of their 

 hill. The egg is fo very fmall, that, though laid on a black ground, it 

 can fcarcely be difcerned. If viewed through a microfcope, it appears 

 fmooth, poliflr^ed, and fhining; the maggot is compofed of twelve rings, 

 is often larger than the ant itfelf, and found frequently as a white fub- 

 ftance in eveiy ant-hill. In cold weather they take them in their mouths 

 to the very depths of their habitation j in a fine day they remove them, 

 with equal care, nearer the furface, for the warm beams of the fun. If 

 a formidable enemy lliould come to attack their habitation, their firfl: care 

 is to fave their off':pring, each loaded with a young one, often bigger 

 than the infedt that lupports it. 



When the young maggot acquires its full growth, it becomes an au- 

 relia, which reprelcnts diltindtly the parts of the animal, though without 

 fnotion, and wraj^pcd up. After all its changes, it burfts this lafl: Ikin, 



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