PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. AT 
the habits of which, as I have just observed, are probably 
different from those of a cold one ;—so that his words, as 
commonly interpreted, may be perfectly correct and con- 
sistent with nature, and yet be not at all applicable to the 
species that are indigenous to Europe. But I think, if 
Solomon’s words are properly considered, it will be found 
that this interpretation has been fathered upon them, 
rather than fairly deduced from them. He does not af- 
firm that the ant which he proposes to his sluggard as an 
example, jaid up in her magazines stores of grain: ‘Go 
to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise; 
which, kaving neither captain, overseer, nor ruler, pre- 
pares her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in 
the harvest.” ‘These words may very well be interpreted 
simpiy to mean, that the ant, with commendable pru- 
dence and foresight, makes use of the proper seasons to 
collect a supply of provision sufficient for her purposes. 
There is net a word in them implying that she stores up 
grain or other provision. She prepares her bread, and 
gathers her food, 
namely, such food as is suited to her, 
—in summer and harvest,—that is, when it is most plen- 
tiful,—and thus shows her wisdom and prudence by using 
the advantages offered to her. The words thus inter- 
preted, which they may be without any violence, will 
apply to our European species as well as to those that 
are not indigenous. 
I shall now bid farewell to the ancients, and proceed 
to lay before you what the observations of modern au- 
thors have enabled me to add to the history of ants :— 
the principal of these are Leeuwenhoeck, Swammerdam 
_ (who was the first that had recourse to artificial means 
for observing their proceedings), Linné, Bonnet, and 
