ZOOLOGY. 117 



its annoying depredations. Store-room tables have their 

 legs placed in tin or leaden cups, partly fiUed with this oil. 

 Shelves, made to hang from the ceiling, have their iron 

 supports passing through tin funnels of the same; and 

 meat hooks are guarded in a similar manner. It is only 

 by these means that any article of food can bfe considered 

 safe from these marauders. The ant is also very destruc- 

 tive to the domestic rabbit, to poultry, and young pigeons, 

 to caged birds, and to all sick animals ; and man himseK, 

 when in a helpless state, is sometimes attacked by it. 



" During the heat of summer, millions of these insects 

 make their appearance upon every road and pathway, and 

 sometimes invade the dwellings of men in such multitudes, 

 as to become an. intolerable nuisance. Every tree, and 

 almost every bush then teems with its black columns, 

 ascending and descending ia the great occupation of obtain- 

 ing food. 



"Finding the ants, one morning, disposed to attack a 

 bottle of honey (a common wine bottle), I placed the 

 same in a soup plate upon the sideboard, carefully filling 

 the plate with water as a protection. On returning 

 to the room a short time afterwards, I found the bottle 

 swanning with ants, and on a closer inspection was greatly 

 surprised to find a column of those insects passing and re- 

 passing on the surface of the water, between the rim of 

 the plate and the bottle of honey. This they appeared to 

 do with perfect ease, merely wetting their feet in the opera- 

 tion ; in other words, absolutely walking on the water. 



" There is another peculiarity in the habits of this insect, 

 which deserves to be mentioned. If a Couple of snipe have 

 been killed, and are destined as a present to some friend, 

 they win be suspended by a single thread from the upper 



