THE ANT-LION. 347 



mouth is armed with jaws, teeth, and six fjelers. 

 The wings are deflected ; and the abdomen of the 

 male terminates in a forceps composed of two 

 straight filaments. 



The larv<£ are hairy, with six feet, and strong 

 exserted toothed jaws. They prey with most sa- 

 vage ferocity on ants, and some of the other smaller 

 insects ; and, for the purpose ot ensnaring the prey, 

 form a kind of funnel or pit in light earth, at the 

 bottom of which they lie buried. The manners of 

 most of the tribe greatly resemble those of the fol- 

 lowing species. 



The chrysalis is inclosed in a little ball of sand or 

 earth, the particles of which are agglutinated toge- 

 ther by a viscid matter, which the larva mixes with 

 it previously to its change. 



THE ANT LION *. 



The name of this insect is received from its living 

 principally on ants. It is the caterpillar of a fly 

 somewhat resembling the dragon-fly. In the mode 

 of taking its prey, and in the figure of its bodv, it 

 is not much unlike the spider. Its body is com- 

 posed of several rings, and its colour is a dirty grey, 

 marked with black spots. The head is small and 

 flat, and from this proceed two horns, each about 

 the sixth of an inch long, hard, hollow, and hooked 

 - at the end. 



Myrmeleon formicarius. Linn. 



