THE ANT. 219 



Males, females, and neuters. 



which are seen incisors, that look like teeth. 

 The breast is covered with a fine silky hair, 

 from which project six legs, that are pretty 

 strong and hairy, the extremities of each armed 

 with two small claws, which the animal uses 

 in climbing. The belly is more red than the 

 rest of the body, which is of a brown chesnut 

 colour, shining as glass, and covered with ex- 

 tremely fine hair. From such a formation, this 

 animal seems bolder, and more active, for its 

 size, than any other of the insect tribe, and fears 

 uot to attack a creature above ten times its own 

 magnitude. 



Ants are gregarious, and consist of males, fe- 

 males, and neuters, of whicl>the latter are alone 

 the labourers. These build in the ground an ob- 

 long nest, in which there are various passages 

 and apartments. In the formation of this nest 

 every individual is occupied: some are employed 

 in securing a firm and durable ground-work, by 

 mixing the earth with a sort of glue produced in 

 their bodies : others collect little bits of twigs to 

 serve as rafters, which they place over their pas- 

 sages, to support the covering: others again lay 

 pieces across these^and place on them rushes, 

 weeds, and dried grass. The latter they secure 

 so firmly as completely to turn off the water 

 from their magazines. 



These little creatures, in collecting their stores, 

 may often be observed in full employment , one 

 #f them loaded with a grain of wheat, another 



