PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



53 



Ligon's account of the ants in Barbadoes affords another 

 most convincing proof of this : as he has told his tale in a 

 lively and interesting manner, I shall give it nearly in his 

 own words. 



" The next of these moving little animals are ants or 

 pismires, and these are but of a small size, but great in 

 industry ; and that which gives them means to attain to this 

 end is, they have all one soul. If I should say they are here 

 or there, I should do them wrong, for they are everywhere ; 

 under ground, where any hollow or loose earth is ; amongst 

 the roots of trees ; upon the bodies, branches, leaves, and fruit 

 of all trees ; in all places without the houses and within ; upon 

 the sides, walls, windows, and roofs without ; and on the 

 floors, side-walls, ceilings, and windows within ; tables, cup- 

 boards, beds, stools, all are covered with them, so that they 

 are a kind of ubiquitaries. We sometimes kill a cockroach, 

 and throw him on the ground ; and mark what they will do 

 with him : his body is bigger than a hundred of them, and 

 yet they will find the means to take hold of him, and lift him 

 up ; and having him above ground, away they carry him, and 

 some go by as ready assistants, if any be weary ; and some 

 are the officers that lead and show the way to the hole into 

 which he must pass ; and if the vancouriers perceive that the 

 body of the cockroach lies across, and will not pass through 

 the hole or arch through which they mean to carry him, order 

 is given, and the body turned endwise, and this is done a 

 foot before they come to the hole, and that without any stop 

 or stay ; and this is observable, that they never pull contrary 

 ways. A table being cleared with great care, by way of 

 experiment, of all the ants that were upon it, and some sugar 

 being put upon it, some, after a circuitous route, were ob- 

 served to arrive at it, when again departing without tasting 

 the treasure, they hastened away to inform their friends of 

 their discovery, who upon this came by myriads ; and when 

 they are thickest upon the table," says he, " clap a large 

 book (or any thing fit for that purpose) upon them, so hard 

 as to kill all that are under it ; and when you have done so, 

 take away the book, and leave them to themselves but a 

 quarter of an hour, and when you come again you shall 



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