242 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Curious pits formed by this animal. 



The ant-lion, though said to be a native of 

 this country, has been very rarely discovered 

 here: it is very seldom found in its perfect state, 

 but is sometimes to be met with in sandy places, 

 and near rivulets. 



This animal, in its larva state, obtains its food 

 only by stratagem. His usual situation is in a 

 dry sandy soil, under some old wall or other pro* 

 tection from the wind. Here he forms a pit of 

 the shape of a funnel. If this is only to be small, 

 he thrusts himself backward pretty deep, and 

 artfully throws out the loose sand, which has 

 fallen in upon him, beyond the edges of the hol- 

 low, and at the bottom he then lies concealed. 

 If it is to be of greater extent, he begins by first 

 tracing in the surface of the sand a tolerably 

 large circle, which is to form its base. He then 

 gets under the sand near the edge, and, proceed- 

 ing backwards in a spiral direction, carefully 

 throws up all the particles that fall upon his 

 body beyond the circumference of the circle: 

 this he continues till he arrives at the apex of 

 the cone he has thus formed. His long neck, 

 and flat head, he uses as a spade; and the strength 

 of these parts is so great that he is able to throw 

 off at once a considerable quantity of sand to 

 even six inches distance. His pit being finished, 

 he buries himself among the sand at the bottom, 

 leaving only his horns visible. Here he patiently 

 waits for his prey. When an ant or any other 



