160 FORMIClDiE — ANTS. 



or very fine slices of fat pork.^ And in the province of 

 Michuacan, Mexico, is a singular species of Ant, which 

 carries on its abdomen "a little bagful of a sweet substance, 

 of which the children are very fond : the Mexicans suppose 

 this to be a kind of honey collected by the insect; but 

 Clavigero thinks it rather its eggs."' 



Piso, De Laet, Marcgrave, and other writers mention 

 their being an article of food in different parts of South 

 America. Piso speaks of yellow Ants called Gupia inhab- 

 iting Brazil, the abdomen of which many used for food, as 

 well as a large species under the name of Tama-joura: 

 "Alia prieterea datur grandis species Tama-ioura dicta 

 digiti articulum adaequans. Quarum etiam clunes dessicantur 

 et friguntur pro bono alimento."^ Says De Laet : "Deuique 

 formica hie visuntur grandissimae, quas indigenae vulgo 

 coraedunt ; et in foris venales habent."' And again : " For- 

 micis vescebantur, easquse studiose ad victum educabant."^ 

 Lucas Fernandes Piedrahita, in his Ilistoria General de 

 las Conquistas del Nuevo Regno de Granada, states that 

 cakes of Cazave and Ants were eaten in that country: 

 "Al tiempo de tostarlas para este efecto, dan el mismo olor 

 que los quesillos, que se labran para comer asados."*^ Her- 

 rera says, the natives of New Granada made their main food 

 of Ants, which they kept and reared in their yards.^ Sloane 

 confirms this, and says they are publicly sold in the markets.'^ 

 Abbeville deNorombatellsus these great Ants are fricasseed.^ 

 Schomburgk, in his journey to the sources of the Essequibo, 

 one evening saw all the boys of a village out shouting and 

 chasing with sticks and palm leaves a large species of winged 

 Ant, which they collected in great numbers in their cala- 

 bashes for food. When roasted or boiled, he says, the na- 

 tives considered these insects a great delicacy.^^ Humboldt 

 informs us that Ants are eaten by the Marivatanos and 

 Margueritares, mixed with resin for sauce.^^ 



1 The Mirror, xxxi. 342. 



2 Smith's Nature and Art, xii. 197. 



3 Hist. Nat., i. 9, and v. 291. Cf. Sloane, Hist, of Jam., ii. 221. 

 ^ Amer. Utriusq. Desc, p. 333. & Ibid., p. 379. 

 6 Southey's Com. Place Book, 3d S. p. 346-7. 



T Ilerrera, vi. 5, 6. 



8 Hist, of Jam., ii. 221. » Quoted, Ibid. 



10 Journ. of Geog. Soc, 1841, x. 175. 



11 Quot. by K. and S. Introd., i. 309. 



