844 INSECTA — ANT. 



to carry, often exceeding ten or twelve times their own weight. This appa- 

 rently is connected with a corresponding share of sensation, seen in their 

 great susceptibility to all changes of temperature, to moisture, and other 

 conditions of the atmosphere. In the perfection of their sight they are also 

 remarkable ; the males and females being provided with botli the descrip- 

 tions of eyes peculiar to this class, namely, the composite and the simple 

 eyes. The laboring ants, indeed, Avho never fly, are frequently destitute of 

 the latter kind. 



Many erroneous opinions are prevalent with regard to the food of ants, 

 which have often been supposed to consume corn, and to do great injury to 

 plants by devouring their roots or stems. The truth is, that they are chiefly 

 carnivorous insects, preying indiscriminately on all the softer parts of ani- 

 mals, and especially the viscera of other insects, Avhom they will often attack 

 Avhen alive, and overpower by dint of numbers, upon which they devour 

 their victim on the spot, or drag him prisoner into their nests ; or if the 

 game should be too bulky to be easily transported, they make a plentiful 

 meal, and exert like the bee a power of disgorging a portion, and of impart- 

 ing it to their companions at home. It appears that they are even able to 

 retain at pleasure the nutritious juices unchanged for a considerable time. 

 The rapidity with which they consume, and in fact anatomize, the carcasses 

 of any small bird or quadruped that happens to fall in their way, is well 

 known, and furnishes an easy method of obtaining natural skeletons of 

 these animals, by placing their dead bodies in the vicinity of a populous ant- 

 hill. In hot climates, where they multiply to an amazing extent, their vo- 

 racity and boldness increase with their numbers. Bosman, in his descrip- 

 tion of Guinea, states that in one night they will devour a sheep, leaving it 

 a fine skeleton ; while a fowl is for them only the amusement of an hour. 

 In these situations they will venture to attack even living animals of con- 

 siderable size. Rats and mice often become their victims. The sugar ants 

 of Grenada cleared every plantation which they visited of rats and other 

 vermin, which they probably eflected by attacking their young. Poultry, or 

 other small stock, could not be raised without the greatest difficulty ; and 

 the eyes, nose, and other emunctories of the bodies of dying or dead animals 

 were instantly covered with them. 



The fecundation of the ant is effected very generally during the flight of the 

 females, in which they are accompanied by the males ; both appearing to be 

 provided with wings chiefly for this object. A certain number of impreg- 

 nated females are also, by the assistance of their wings, enabled to reach 

 distant situations, where they become respectively the founders of new colo- 

 nies ; while the males, having fulfilled the office for which nature had des- 

 tined them, are left to perish on the spot where they descend, being removed 

 from those who formerly administered to them food, and being destitute of 

 the means of procuring subsistence for themselves. Swarms of ants, of im- 

 mense size, are occasionally met with ; some have been recorded of such 



