ANT 
ANT 
depofed dieir queen, and being deferted by the 
males, which ferved only to clog the community, 
prepare for the feverity of winter, by finking their 
retreats as deep in the earth as poffible; and it is 
now found that the grains of corn, and other fub- 
ftances, with which they furnifh their hill, are 
meant only as fences to repel the feverity of the 
winter, and not as provifions to fupport them dur- 
ing it's continuance. It is a general obfervation, 
that almoft every infeft which lives a year after ar- 
riving at it's full growth, is obliged to pafs four or 
five months without receiving any aliment, during 
which period it remains in a dormant ftate. This 
being certainly the cafe with regard to the Euro- 
pean Ants, it v/ould be abfolutely ufelefs for them 
to make provifion againft a feafon which they cart- 
not enjoy : and, indeed, fo far are they from feed- 
ing in winter on the frviits of their fummer labours, 
that they are totally incapable of ftirring during all 
the former ieafon. Thus, what fome authors have 
called a magazine of provifions, appears to be no 
more than a bulwark, which ferves as a common 
retreat when the inclemency of the weather con- 
fines them to their lethargic ftate. 
However, what has been faid, with fomuch ex- 
aggeration, of the European Ants, is perhaps ftriift- 
ly true of thofe in the tropical regions : where they 
conftruft hills with amazing contrivance and re- 
gularity; laying up their provifions with much 
wifdom and forefight; and, probably remaining 
aftive the whole year, have ceconomical regula- 
tions among themfelves entirely unknown in Eu- 
ropean climates. 
Reaumur, Gould, and Carre, who have made the 
moft minute enquiries into the oeconomy of Ants, 
in general agree with the relation we have given of 
thefe wonderful infe<5ts. 
Mr. Gould obferves, that every different colony 
of Ants is compofed of infefls of one particular fpe- 
cies, over which a large female, to which he gives 
the title of queen, prefides. The queen, he endea- 
vours to prove, is the mother of the whole brood; 
and is difcinguilhed from the reft by her fuperior 
magnitude, by the diverfity of her colour, and by 
that reverential awe with which fhe is conftantly 
treated by all her fubjefts. The colour of the 
queen fom.etimes differs in different colonies. Her 
head refemibles that of the common Ant: fhe has 
likewife three lucid fpecks on her forehead, placed 
in a triangular form, which feem to be the eyes, 
and are of the fame ftrufture with thofe of the fpi- 
der. The queen, as foon as fhe has laid a fufficient 
quantity of eggs, leaves them to the care of her 
labouring fubje£ls, and withdraws to a feparate 
apartment. Two or three yellow queens have fome- 
times been found in the fame colony ; and, of the 
red, there are feldom iefs than two regents. In this 
rei'peft they both differ from the hill and fmall 
black Ants, which have only one. 
From the mofl: fatisfaftory experiments, this in- 
genious enquirer into nature has evinced, that the 
queen alone fupplies every particular colony with 
it's inhabitants; and that fhe lays three differ-ent 
forts of eggs, viz. the male, the female, and the 
neutral. Thefe Ant-vermicles are very flow in 
their growth, and undergo various metamorphofes 
before they arrive at a ftate of full maturity. 
Mr. Carre concurs with Mr. Gould in his general 
theory of Ants ; and informs us, that thefe furpriz- 
ing infe6ls fwarm once a year; and that the young 
can build their habitations without the afliftance 
of the old. At firft, they feem folely attentive to 
the conftruffion of them ; but no fooner are they 
finifhed, than fome of the Ants proceed in fearch of* 
provifions, which they lay up for their daily con- 
fumption, and for the fupport of the inaftive part 
of their fpecies, without any apparent forefight of 
an approaching inclement feafon. 
After all, no inle6l can be more laborious than 
the Ant, nor more perfevering; hence the very 
ftones over which they pafs and repafs will often 
be vifibly worn into tracks. They are fo extremely 
fond of flefhj that they will not only feed on the 
bodies of may-bugs and beetles; but if a frog, 
lizard, bird, or ferpent, be thrown in their way, 
they in a few days reduce it to a fkeleton. 
Ants have many enemies among the feathered 
tribes, particularly wood-peckers : but the Ant- 
lion is, of all others, the moft formidable deftroyer 
of thefe feduious infefts. The Ants found in the 
gardens and orchards appear to be a different 
fpecies from thofe which inhabit the fields and 
woods, and are peculiarly inimical to the labours 
of the gardener. Several methods have been in- 
vented for their deftruftion : fuch as tallow, afhes, 
unflaked lime, foot, oil of afpic, ox's gall, faw-duft, 
pounded hogs dung, and fulphur ; the fumes of 
which laft article have been particularly recom- 
mended for their extirpation. The Ants, however, 
are not fo prejudicial to hortulane produ6lions as 
has generally been imagined; and therefore often 
fuffer for the depredations of other infe£ts. 
Bontius informs us that, in the Eaft Indies, Ants 
of a reddifli hue are feen flying, which colleft from 
flowers, trees, fhrubs, and herbs, a fubftance of which 
gum-lac is ultimately compofed. Subfequent au- 
thors, however, are not unanimous in fupporting 
this affertion. Geoffery obferves, that the name 
Gum is improperly applied to this fubftance, it being 
rather of a cereous nature. The moft remarkable 
of this fort is ftick-lac, brought over on the veiy 
branches whereon it is found, and which fome have 
fuppofed to proceed from fhe trees themfelves : but 
this conje6lure is evidently erroneous; for on mak- 
ing an incifion in the tree, nothing of that kind 
would flow from it. It is therefore moft probably 
a kind of comb, partaking of the nature of that 
form^ed by the bees and other labouring infe<5ls; 
for, on it's parts being feparated, different cells ap- 
pear of a pretty uniform figure; and hence it is 
evident that the lac is nothing but a kind of wax 
which forms the component parts of the comb. 
Aldrovandus reports, that in Brazil there are 
large winged Ants, which have both a very 
agreeable tafte and Imell ; and their numbers are 
fo immenfe, that they fometimes appear like a 
cloud. The German Ephemerides informs us 
that, on July i8, 1679, when the weather was in- 
tenfely hot, but thick and cloudy, a flight of 
winged Ants was obferved to proceed from the 
north-eaft towards the fouth-weft; that the town 
of Pofen, on the Danube, was filled with them; 
that fuch a vaft number alighted in the market- 
place, that no one could ftir without killing im- 
menfe numbers of them; that their flight did not 
continue more than a quarter of an hour; and that, 
on falling, they loft their wings, and only crept 
about flowly : and that they refembled the com- 
mon Ants, though of fuperior magnitude, and 
furnifhed with two tranfpafent wings. 
In Africa, and particularly in Guinea, the Ants, 
which are of three kinds, the red, the green, and 
the black, are very formidable and mifrhievous; 
and their fting produces extreme pain. They raife 
their 
