72 HYMENOPTERA. 



shining in all its lustre, he visited an ant-hill, 

 and found the colony in full action. A vast 

 number were walking in the neighbourhood, 

 and on the surface of the nest, insomuch that 

 it was almost entirely covered, while many 

 others climbed upon the trunks and branches 

 of pine-trees, returning to and from the nest 

 with as much bustle and activity as in the 

 warmest day of summer. Attentive in his ob- 

 servation, Degeer all at once perceived in the 

 midst of them a large winged ant which lie 

 found surrounded, and, as it were, hid by the 

 workmen. He was the more surprised at this 

 discovery, as he hardly expected to find a wing- 

 ed ant so early in the season. 



SPECIFICATION, 



Formica rufa. F. thorace compresso, toto ferru- 



gineo, capite abdomineque nigris. Linn. Syst. 



Nat. 1. p. 962. Gmel. 1. p. 2798. Fabr. Spec. Ins. 



1. p. 489. Mant. Ins. 1. p. 308, Ent. Syst. 2. 



. p. 351- 



Degeer, Ins. 2. p. 305. t. U.f. 1, 2. 



