472 



HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



that she flies from one branch to another, and 

 settles upon them, he still keeps fixed, and of- 

 ten continues in this situation for three or four 

 hours successively. When he flies, she is 

 obliged to fly with him ; but he still directs 

 the way : and though she moves her wings, 

 she seems entirely guided by his motion. As 

 yet, however, the business of impregnation is 

 not performed ; for to this the female must con 

 tribute ; and she at last seems, by the continu- 

 ance of her constraint, to comply ; for, turn- 

 ing up the end of her tail to that part of the 

 breast of the male in which lies the part pro- 

 per for generation, both instruments meet, and 

 the eggs of the female receive the necessary 

 fecundation. An hour or two after this she 

 flies to some neighbouring pool, where she de- 

 posits her eggs, as was already mentioned. 

 There they continue in a reptile state for a 

 year ; and then are changed into a beautiful 

 fly, resembling the parent. 1 



CHAP. III. 



OF THE FORMICA LEO, OR LION-ANT. 



ALTHOUGH this animal properly belongs to 

 no order of insects, yet as it is changed into a 

 fly very much resembling that described in 

 the preceding chapter, it may not be improper 



1 During the grub-state of the dragon-fly, it preys with 

 the most savage ferocity on all aquatic insects. It is, 

 likewise, at this period, furnished with an apparatus at 

 the end of the body, by which it can suck up and eject 

 water with such considerable force, that the stream is 

 perceptible to the distance of two or three inches from 

 their bodies. If they are kept some time out of water, 

 the desire or necessity of respiration is augmented : and 

 accordingly, when replaced in a vessel filled with water, 

 inspirations and respirations are repeated with unusual 

 force and frequency. 



The Depressed Dragon-fly. This beautiful insect, 

 the general manners or habits of which resemble those of 

 its cogenera, is of so different a colour in the different 

 sexes, that the shape is the chief criterion of the species. 

 The body of the male is of a bright blue, with brown 

 marginal variegations, while that of the female, on the 

 contrary, is of a bright yellow, with similar marginal 

 markings. Like the libellula grandis, this species is 

 principally seen towards the decline of summer, and flies 

 with great rapidity about the neighbourhood of brooks and 

 stagnant waters. It differs much from other species of 

 this genus, from the body being much flattened. 



The Black-winged Drugon-fly. This is one of the 

 most common species in this country, and is generally 

 seen flying, during the morning hours, about the banks 

 of rivers or stagnant waters. The general colour of the 

 body is deep blue-green, while the wings are marked in 

 the middle by a very large patch or area of bluish black. 

 The insect varies, however, in point of colour, more than 

 any other species, and is sometimes seen with the win^s 

 perfectly plain or unmarked, and sometimes, on the con- 

 trary, entirely blue-black : the tinge of the body also va- 

 ries, in a similar manner, being either bright golden- 

 green, deep livid blue, or sometimes brown. 



to give its history here. If we consider the 

 life of this animal, in its different stages of 

 existence, we shall find it equally wonderful 

 in all; but as it changes to a dragon-fly, what 

 we have said of that animal above, need not 

 be repeated here. The lion-ant, when it be- 

 comes an inhabitant of air, in every respect 

 resembles that which has been already des- 

 cribed ; its glossy wings, its voracious appe- 

 tites, its peculiar manner of generation, are 

 entirely the same. It is in its reptile state 

 that it differs from all other insects ; and in 

 that state it will be amusing to pursue its his- 

 tory. ' 



The lion-ant, in its reptile state, is of the 

 size of a common wood-louse, but somewhat 

 broader. It has a pretty long head and a round- 

 ish body, which becomes a little narrower to- 

 wards the tail. The colour is a dirty gray, 

 speckled with black, and the body is composed 

 of several flat rings, which slip one upon ano- 

 ther. It has six feet, four of which are fixed 

 to the breast, and two to the neck. The head 

 is small and flat, and before there are two little 

 smooth horns or feelers, which are hard, about 

 a quarter of an inch long, and crooked at the 

 ends. At the basis of the feelers there are 

 two small black lively eyes, by which it can 

 see the smallest object, as it is easily discov- 

 ered by its starting from every thing that ap- 

 proaches. 



To a form so unpromising, and so ill provid- 

 ed for the purposes of rapacity, this animal 

 unites the most ravenous appetites in nature ; 

 but to mark its imbecility still stronger, as 

 other animals have wings or feet to enable them 

 to advance towards their prey, the lion-ant is 

 unprovided with such assistance from either. 

 It has legs, indeed ; but these only enable it 

 to run backward, so that it could as soon die 

 as make the smallest progressive motion. Thus 

 famished and rapacious as it ever seems, its 

 prey must come to it, or rather into the snare 

 provided for it, or the insidious assassin must 

 starve. 



But Nature, that has denied it strength or 

 swiftness, has given it an equivalent in cun- 

 ning, so that no animal fares more sumptuous- 

 ly, without ever stirring from its retreat. For 

 this purpose, it chooses a dry sandy place at 

 the foot of a wall, or under some shelter, in 

 order to preserve its machinations from the 



n. The driest and most sandy spot is the 

 most proper for it ; because a heavy clogged 

 arth would defeat its labour. When it gees 

 about to dig the hole where it takes its prey, 

 it begins to bend the hinder part of its body, 

 which is pointed, and thus works backward ; 

 making, after several attempts, a circular fur- 

 row, which serves to mark out the size of the 

 lole it intends making, as the ancients mark- 

 d out the limits of a city with a plough. 



