302 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1747. 



the principal thing of which his answer consists is, that the most obvious use of 

 them is for the sustenance of other animals. 



In the close of this chapter he annexes a few remarkable curiosities resulting 

 from the change. The casting of their wings is an instance, he says, peculiar to 

 the large ant-flies ; these being to other insects their highest decorations ; and 

 the want of them lessens their beauty, and shortens their lives. On the reverse, 

 a large ant-fly gains by the loss, and is afterwards promoted to a throne, and 

 drops those external ornaments, as emblems of too much levity for a sovereign. 



Chap. 8 treats of the incessant labours of the workers, the true method of 

 collecting their provisions, and inquires into the truth of the opinion of laying 

 up com, &c. against winter, &c. 



The feeding the young is the most laborious exercise belonging to the working 

 ants, and a part of their industry the most uninterrupted of any. The juices of 

 most sorts of fruit, insects, and honey, or any other delicious liquid, are the 

 repast which they nurture them with. These juices they extract, and first convey 

 into their own alvus, and afterwards infuse into the bodies of the vermicles; 

 which aliment may probably undergo some refinement in the repositories of the 

 ants, and, being there meliorated, is properly tempered for the delicate structure 

 of the worms. 



It has been a dispute among the inquisitive on this subject, whether ants have 

 magazines of corn, and lay up a stock of provisions against winter. The gene- 

 rality of writers hold the affirmative; referring to Solomon, Pliny, Virgil, Ho- 

 race, Aldrovand, Swammerdam, &c. Here it may be observed, in justice to 

 Swammerdam, that, in his Biblia Naturae, he expressly says, that he never at 

 any time observed them to get together any food against winter; and is of opi- 

 nion that during the severity of the winter they eat nothing, as is common with 

 many insects, and some species of bees. 



Our author, with great deference to the writers who have held the affirmative, 

 and with extreme decency, diffijrs from them, offering a handsome apology for 

 himself. He suggests, that in warmer regions they may not undergo the chill 

 they do with us; and therefore may not pass the winter in a state of numbness. 

 That if this be the case, a store of food must be necessary to them, which is not 

 to our northern ants, which live as it were entranced. He adds, that on the 

 most impartial examination of authors, the opinion seems rather to be supported 

 by its antiquity, than reduced to a clear demonstration. He tells us, that as on 

 the most exact and frequent examination of numerous settlements in the winter, 

 he could never trace out any reservoirs of com, or other aliment; not even in 

 those of the hill ants, which are the largest, and proportionably strong; so, to 

 put this matter beyond all reasonable doubt, he had recourse to experiments; 



