420 
INSECTS. 
[Chap. Xlf. 
These when brought into operation cut out the wood 
in the same way as a carpenter's double gouge, the teeth 
being more or less hollowed out within. The female alone 
is furnished with these powerful instruments. In the 
males the mandibles are slender as compared with those 
of the females. The bores of some of these bees are de- 
scribed as being from twelve to fourteen inches in length. 
Ants. — As to ants, I apprehend that, notwithstand- 
ing their numbers and familiarity, information is very 
imperfect relative to the varieties and habits of these 
marvellous insects in Ceylon. 1 In point of multitude 
it is scarcely an exaggeration to apply to them the 
figure of "the sands of the sea." They are every- 
where ; in the earth, in the houses, and on the trees ; 
they are to be seen in every room and cupboard, and 
almost on every plant in the jungle. To some of the 
latter they are, perhaps, attracted by the sweet juices 
secreted by the aphides and coceidae. 2 Such is the pas- 
1 Mr. Jerdan, in a series of by the mill — be exposed to the air, 
papers in the thirteenth volume of it gradually evaporates, yielding a 
the Amwls of Natural History, light-brown residue, like the ordi- 
has described forty-seven species of nary muscovado sugar of the best 
ants in Southern India, But M. quality. If not protected, it is 
Nietner has recently forwarded to presently attacked by ants, and in 
the Berlin Museum upwards of a short time is, as it were, con- 
seventy species taken by him in verted into white crystalline sugar, 
Ceylon, chiefly in the western pro- the ants having refined it by re- 
vince and the vicinity of Colombo, moving the darker portion, pro- 
Of these many are identical with bably preferring that part from its 
those noted by Mr. Jerdan as be- containing azotized matter. The 
longing to the Indian continent, negroes, I may remark, prefer 
One (probably Drepanognathus sal- brown sugar to white; they say 
tator of Jerdan) is described by M. its sweetening power is greater; 
Metner as occasionally "moving by no doubt its nourishing quality is 
jumps of several inches at a spring." greater, and therefore as an article 
_ 2 Dr. Davy, in a_ paper on Tro- of diet deserving of preference, 
pical Plants, has introduced the In refining sugar as in refining salt 
following passage relative to the (coarse bay salt containing a little 
purification of sugar by ants : iodine), an error may be committed 
14 If the juice of the sugar-cane in abstracting matter designed by 
—the common syrup as expressed nature for a useful purpose." 
