8 A NATURAL HISTORY 



and to be awake and lively in Summer : During the Months of 

 their Reft, a quantity of Oil is laid up in them for their Defence 

 agaiiift the Cold, ai;d in proportion to the Degrees of it, which 

 they are to fuftain ; whence it is, that the Trees of the northern 

 Climates fo much abound with Oil. 



O N the other hand, there are Reptiles and InfeSls that have 

 Senfe enough to lay up Winter-Store in Summer, as the Bee, 

 IVafp^ Fiehi-Moiife, &c. a Property foreign to the ancient Houfe 

 of Serpents. 



I N Summer, the Bees labour hard for "Winter Provifion : As 

 foon as the Air grows mild and warm, they are out betimes, and 

 gather their Harveft from the Simples of the Fields, which they 

 iiick into their Bodies, and upon their Return to the Hive they 

 difgorge it, as Pigeons do their Food wherewith they feed their 

 Young. Wlien the Bees have fiU'd their Storehoufe with the De- 

 licacies of Nature they lock the Doors, which they feal upv/ith 

 delicate white Wax, to prevent the Emanation of the Hone)'', 

 which is a vegetable Juice : The Combs in which their Treafure 

 is lodg'd, are geometrically nice, and exceed the moft exquilite 

 Art of Man. 



The Ants alfo in this refpeit, are remarkable for Penetration 

 and Forefight. In Ainerica are Ants which raife Hillocks four or 

 five Foot high, and have fuch a way of cementing the Earth 

 about them, that 'tis as firm as Lime and Stone, which proteds 

 them again ft the Ant -Bears, or Pifmire-eaters ; i, e. a kind of 

 Creatures as big as Dogs, tliat feed on thefe Infcifts, 



One obferves, that the Spaniards left Jamaica, and went to 

 Cuba, for this Reafon among others, becaufe their Childrens Eyes 

 were eaten by thefe Ants, when left by themfelves in the 

 C^dle ■^ 



C E Y L o N in the Eajl-Indies produces feveral forts of remarkable 

 Ants, particularly a large red kind, which make their Nefts on 

 the Boughs of great Trees, with Leaves wrapt together in Clufters, 

 _ in v/hich ihey lay their Eggs : And another fort call'd Vacos, 



whofe Hinder-part is white, and the Head red ; thefe fwarm 

 over the Land and devour every thing, but Stone and Iron : They 

 creep on Houfe-walls, and always build an Arch over themfelves j 

 pn thefe their Poultry live chiefly j fome of them bite delperately. 



To 



* Sir Hans Sloan's IntroduSfm to his Voyage, p. 68. 



