ANT 
all others ] and, in that ftate, it will be amufing 
to purfue it's hiftory. The Ant-Lion, previous 
to it's becoming an inhabitant of the air, is of the 
fize of a common wood-loufe, but fomewhat broad- 
er. It has a pi-etty long head; and a roundifh 
body, which narrows imperceptibly towards the 
tail. The colour is a dirty grey, Ipeckled with 
black; and the body is compofed of feveral flat 
rings, which fall over one another. It is furnifhed 
with fix feet, four of which are fixed to the breaft, 
and two to the neck. The head is fmall and flat; and, 
in the front, there are two little fmooth horns, or 
feelers, about a quarter of an inch long, which are 
hard, and incurvated at the ends. At the bafis of 
the feelers are two black quick eyes, by which it 
can difcern the minuteft objefts. To this form, 
fo contemptibly minute, and fo ill provided for the 
purpofes of rapacity, this animal unites the moft 
ravenous appetite. But, to mark it's imbecillity 
Hill more ; as other animals have wings or feet, to 
enable them to approach their prey, the Ant-Lion 
is totally deftitute of whatever afiiftance might be 
derived from either. It has, indeed, a kind of 
legs; buttheie only allowing a retrograde motion, 
it is abfolutely impofiible for the Ant-Lion to move 
forward. Thus, famiflied and rapacious as it ever 
appeal's, it'sprey muft accidentally fall witliin the am- 
bufcade provided for it, or the infidious aflfafTin would 
inevitably be ftarved to death. Nature, however, 
bountiful to all her produiftions, though fhe has de- 
nied ftrength and fwiftnefsto this infe(5t> has endued 
it vvnth cunning; fo that no animal fares more luxu- 
riouily, without ever moving from it's retreat. For 
this purpofe it fclefts a dry, fandy foil, near the foot 
of a wan, or under fome convenient fl:ielter, in or- 
der to carry an it's machinations fecure from the 
rain. Inftinft, indeed, feems to point out fuch a 
fpot as the mofi: proper habitation for it, fince a 
heavy damp earth would entirely defeat it's exer- 
tions. When it begins it's labour, by digging a 
hole for the pui-pofe of enfnaring it's prey, it bends 
the hinder part of it's body, which is pointed; and 
in this pofition works backward, forming, after 
feveral attempts, a circular furrow, which ferves to 
mark out the fize of it's intended hole. Within 
this firft furrow it digs a fecond; then a third; and 
afterwards others, which are always of lefs dimen- 
fions than the preceding. Thefe preliminary ope- 
rations being finifhed, it begins to deepen the ca- 
vity, finking lower and lower into the fand, which 
it throws with it's horns or feelers towards the mar- 
gin ; till, by repeated efl:brts, it is formed into a 
circle round the edge of the pit. This hole always 
reprelents a perfeft circle ; and the pit itfelf refem- 
bles the infide of an inverted funnel. When the 
Ant-Lion is newly hatched, thefirft pit it finks is 
of very fmall dimenfions ; but, as the infe6t grows 
larger, itincreafes the fize of it's retreat; which is 
deftined, like a pit-fall, to entrap it's prey, and is 
generally about two inches deep, and nearly as 
much in diameter. This being effefted, the infi- 
dious Ant-Lion lies in ambufh, concealing itfelf 
under the fand in fuch a manner that it's two horns 
encircle the bottom of the pit, the exterior part of 
which is compofed of tlie moft loofe and crumbling 
materials; fo that it is almoft impofilble for any in- 
fefls which have once fallen into it, to creep out 
again. Confcious of the fuccefs of it's ftratagem, 
the Ant-Lion remains in patient expedtation of it's 
prey, and ready to avail itfelf of any accident which 
may throw fome unfufpefling little animal into it's 
power. Should an ant, a wood-loufe, or a caterpil- 
ANT 
lar, approach too near the edge of the precipice, the 
fand inftantly gives way, and die unfortunate infect 
tumbles to the bottom of the pit, where it inevita- 
bly meets deftrudtion. The fall of a fingle grain of 
fand gives notice to the wakeful murderer at the bot- 
tom of the cave ; which never fails to fally forth in 
expectation of it's prey. Sometimes, however, the 
ant or wood-loufe is too nimble for it's purfuer; 
and recovers the margin of the pit-fall before the 
Ant-Lion can lay hold of it: in which cafe, the 
animal has another contrivance, nnore extraor- 
dinary than the former; for, by means of it's broad 
head and feelers, it pofiTefTes the power of throwing 
up a fhower of fand, which falls on the ftrug- 
gling captive with tremendous weight, and pre- 
cipitates it to the bottom. When the infe61: is thus 
overpowered, no efix)rts of it's own can polTiblyre- 
leafe it: the Ant-Lion inftantly feizes it v/ith it's 
hollow feelers ; and, darting them both into it's 
body, fticks out the juices with amazing rapa- 
city. The prey of the Ant-Lion being tlius re- 
duced to a flceleton, it next proceeds to remove 
the dead carcafe from it's cell, left it fhould alarm 
other infe6ls, and prevent their near approach; taking 
up, therefore, the wafted trunk with it's feelers, 
and throwing it with prodigious ftrength at leaft 
fix inches from the verge of it's den, it fets about 
repairing the injuries fuftained in the recent con- 
teft. Nothing can abate it's induftry, or check 
it's rapacity: patient, vigilant, and afTiduous, it 
will continue on the watch for more than a 
month, expefting the approach of it's prey; and, 
fliould the quantity exceed the calls of nature, 
the little voracious creature will quit the infedl: it 
has recently killed, and leave it half confumed, 
in order to attack any other which may hap- 
pen to come within it's reach. Like favage 
birds and beafts of prey in general, which are ca- 
pable of enduring abftinence longer than the gentler 
tribes, it fupports hunger for a period really afto- 
nifhing. La Hire, of the Academy of Paris, ob- 
ferved, near a century ago, that the Ant-Lion could 
faft for feven months together ; and to him we are 
indebted for the firft notice of this furprizing in- 
fe£t, which was foon afterwards lb well defcribed 
by Vallifnieri and Poupart. 
When the Ant-Lion has fpent about twenty 
months, and fometimes near two years, in the ftate 
laft defcribed, it affumes another form, and forgets 
it's rapacious appetites, but not it's induftry. It no 
longer digs pits to enfnare the unwary; but fur- 
rows up the fand all round in an irregular manner, 
teftifying thofe workings, and violent agitations, 
which moft infecfts exhibit previous to their me- 
tamorphofes. Thefe animals are produced in au- 
tumn ; and, at the end of winter, they are found 
of all fizes : from which circumftance, it appears 
that they do not uniformly arrive at maturity with- 
in the fame fpace of time, but experience their 
transformation at different ages. When this change 
approaches, if the infe6t finds it's little cell conve- 
nient, it remains fatisfied : but if it is obliged to 
remove, it entirely conceals itfelf under the fand ife 
has raifed up, where it fpins a thread, after the 
manner of the fpider; which, being formed of a 
glutinous fubftance, and humid froni the moifhire 
of it's body, adheres to the little particles of fand 
among which it is fpun, and the infedt rolls up the 
whole into a ball, itfelf forming the centre. This 
ball is about half an inch in diameter, and the in-«, 
fe£l preferves an apartment within fufiiciently ca- 
pacious for all it's motigns. The external furfaee 
