THE ANT. 317 



to aflume the form it is to retain. The old ones very afTiduoufly break 

 open with their teeth the covering in which it is inclofed ; knowing 

 the precife time for their afTiftance : if produced too foon, the young one 

 dies of cold ; if retarded too long, it is fuffocated. 



When the female has done laying, her wings drop off; but the males, 

 having no longer any occupation at home, ufe their wings, and fly away. 



The working ants prepare for winter, and bury their retreats deep; 

 their flock of corn, and other fubflances, ferve as fences to keep off the 

 rigours of the weather in our cold climates, not as provifions, they being 

 torpid: but whether without any intervals may be queftioned. What has 

 been faid miftakenly of our European ant, is true of thofe in tropical cli- 

 mates. They build hills with great contrivance and regularity, lay up 

 provifions, probably live the whole year, and fubmit to regulations un- 

 known among the ants of Europe. 



In Africa are fome ants >^hite, others red, green, or black; the latter 

 exceed an inch long, in every refpefl formidable. Their fting is extremely 

 painful, and their depredations fometimes extremely deftrudive. Their 

 hill is from fix to twelve feet high, made of vifcous clay, tapering pyra- 

 midally, conftruded with great artifice j the cells fo numerous and even, a 

 honey-comb fcarce exceeds them in number and regularity. The inha- 

 bitants feem to be under ftrict regulation. At the flighteft warning they 

 fally out on whatever difturbs them. Sheep, hens, rats, and even large 

 animals, are deftroyed by thefe mercilefs infefts, and their flefii devoured 

 to the bone. No anatomift in, the world can ftrip a fkeleton fo clean; 

 no animal, how flrong focver, when once feized, has power to refilt 

 them. When they fally forth, fifty or fixty larger than the reft head the 

 band, and conduft them. If they have a fixed fpot where their, prey, 

 continues to refort, they form a vaulted gallery, fometimes a quarter of 

 a mile in length ; and yet they will hollow it out in the fpace of ten or 

 twelve hours. 



The millions of thefe infedls, their voracity, their union, and manage- 

 ment, far exceeds what we can conceive : but by fuppofing our ants en- 

 larged in fize and powers, and/mcreafed in numbers, fo that a train might 

 be a mile long, and very broad, we may form fome idea of the African 

 termites, and the South American troops of infed: depredators, iiora 

 which fcarce any living thing can efcape but by flight. 



Part VI. No. 31. 3 H ' THE 



