ANT 
tubular quite within the fhell, it appears highly- 
probable that thefe animals receive their nourifh-. 
ment through their tubes or perforated beaks only, 
and that they feldom or never have occafion to 
open their valves. Indeed, the fituations in which 
they are found, and particularly their internal 
ftru£lures, fecm to iadicate that the fhells are not 
adapted for frequent opening. 
This curious family of fliells may be divided into 
two genera; the inarticulate, and the mukarticu- 
late. In the inarticulate Anomia, the hinge of 
the under valve forms a large cavity, the .corners 
of which make two prominences or joints ; and the • 
upper valve is indented into it by a prominency cor- 
refponding with the cavity, and by two fmall de- 
prefilons anfwering to the tv/o prominences or 
ioints. In the multarticulate Anomia the hinge 
lies in a long ftraight line, and is fet with many 
teedi. 
The Anomia has the habit of an oyfter, to which 
it is often found affixed by a ftrong tendinous li- 
gature. The larger fpecies yet difcovered meafures 
about two inches diameter; the fmaller is about 
the fize of a cockle. 
The fofiil ipecies of Anomife are uncommonly 
numerous in Great Britain ; where they are found 
in chalk-pits, and in lime-ftone and other quarries. 
ANSERES. One of the fix orders of birds in 
the LinnjEan fyftem ; the charaderiftic diftinftions 
of which are, a fmooth beak, covered with fkin, 
gibbous at the bafe, and enlarged toV/ards the 
apex; the jaw denticulated, and the tongue flefny; 
the feet adapted to fwimming, having thin toes 
connected by a membrane; the legs thick and 
ihort; and the body bulky and plump, covered 
•with a thin lldn, and feathers. This order of birds 
is analogous to the beliuse in the clafs of mam- 
malia. 
ANT. A genus of infe£ls belonging to the 
■Linnasan order of hymenoptera ; diftinguifhed from 
^the other genera of this order by having an ere£l 
fquama, or fcaly body, placed between the thorax 
and the abdomen. 
Thefe infedls have been famous from all anti- 
quity for their focial and induftrious habits ; for 
their Ipirit of fubordination; and for being offered 
as a pattern of parfimony to the profufe, and of 
unremitting diligence to the fluggard. More re- 
cent experiments, hov/ever, and more accurate ob- 
lervations, convince us that much of their boafted 
frugality and precaution is fiflitious. The trea- 
fures they lay up are no longer fuppofed to be in- 
tended for future provifion ; and the choice they 
-make in their ftores appears not to be dictated by 
any very extraordinary fagacity. It is, indeed, 
fomewhat furprizing, that every writer of anti- 
quity, every poet, and every moralift, fhould de- 
fcribe this infe6t as labouring only in the fummer, 
and feaftingon the produce of it's toils during the 
winter. Perhaps, in fome of the gentler climates, 
. where the winter is mild, and of fliort continuance, 
this may be the cafe; but in France, England, 
and other northern countries, thefe animals can 
have no occafion for a fupply of winter provifions ; 
being aftually, during that feafon, in a ftate of ab- 
folute torpidity. 
The .common European Ants are, in general, 
either red or black, and they are of various magni- 
tudes. Some of them are furnilhed with flings, 
and others *are wholly deftitute of them : fuch as 
have flings ufe them for their defence; and fuch 
as are unprovid,ed with thefe weapons have a 
■ANT 
power of fpurting from their pofleriors an aci4 
pungent fluid, which inflames and irritates theilcin 
like nettles. The body of the common Ant eonfiUs 
of three divifions; the head, breaft, and belly. In 
the head are placed the eyes, which are extremely 
black; and un4er the eyes are two fmall horns or 
feelers, compofed of twelve joints, all covpred witlv 
a fine filky hair. The mouth is compofed of two 
crooked jaws, which projeft outwards ; in each of ' 
which appear incifures refembling teeth. The 
breafl is covered with a fine filky hair, from v/hich 
projed: fix legs, pretty ftrong, and refembling hair, 
having the extremities of each armed with tv/o 
fmall claws, which affift the animal in climbing. 
The belly is redder than the refc of the body, 
which is rather of a brown chefnut colour, fhining 
like gia-fs, and covered with extremely fine hair. 
From this formation, the Ant feems bolder, and 
more aftive, than any other creature of the infed; 
tribe of the fam.e fize; and, indeed, it poflefTes fuf- 
ficient intrepidity to attack an animal often more 
than ten times it's own magnitude. 
No fooner is the winter paft, than the Ant- 
hill, which before feemed a defart, again fvvarms 
with renovated life; and myriads of thele infe^ls 
are feen juil awakened from, their annual lethargy, 
and preparing for the enjoyments and the toils of 
fummer. During the firft day of their appear- 
ance, they never offer to quit the hill, which may 
be conndered as their citadel, but run over eveiv 
part of it, as it to examine it's pre'ent fituation, 
and obferve what injury it has fuftained from 
the inclemency of the weather while they were 
afleep. 
At their firll appearance none but the winglefs 
tribes are to be feen, thofe furnifhed with wings 
flili remaining at the bottom of the hill. The 
v/orking or neutral Ants, which firft appear, are 
always deftitute of wings ; while the male and fe- 
male Ants, which are each furnifiied with four 
large wings, are more dilatory in rifing from their 
dormant ftate. Thus, like bees, which they ex- 
tremely refem.ble in their oeconomy, the Ants are 
divided into male, female, and the neutral or work- 
ing tribes. Thefe are all eafily diftinguifned from 
one another ; the females being confiderably larger 
than the miales, and the labouring Ants ftill fmalier 
than either. The two former generally have v/ings, 
but the latter never have any; and thefe lafl perform 
all the labours which contribute to the welfare and 
prefervation of the commonwealth. The female 
may alfo be diftinguifhed by the ftrufture and co- 
lour of her breafl, which is a little browner than 
that of the neutral Ant, and brighter than that of 
the male. In eight or ten days after their firft ap- 
pearance, the labours of the hill begin to be in fome 
forwardneis : the males and females appear m.ixed 
with the drudging multitude, and are adlive in 
traverfing their boundaries, and fportively purfuing 
each other. They feem in no refpeft to partake 
of the toils of the ftate, but are rather employed 
in amorous dalliance; the males purfuing the fe- 
males with great alacrit}', and apparently forcing 
their compliance. In the a£t of coition they re- 
main united for fome time, during which the 
males fuffer themfelves to be drawn about at 
the pleafure of the females. In tlie mean time, the 
working body of the ftate have no participatloa 
in thefe enjoyments, nor concern themfelves with 
the amorous tribes: they are employed in dili- 
gently making excurfions from the hill in prirfuit 
of food for themfelves and their afTociates; and in 
I providing 
