j - o Mr. smeathman’s Account of 
maflacre of almoft all their race, but for a long time after, 
will I hope juftify me in the ufe of the term election. 
The little induftrious creatures immediately enclofe them in 
a final! chamber of clay fui table to their fize, into which at 
firft they leave but one fmall entrance, large enough for them- 
felves and the foldiers to go in and out, but much too little 
for either of the royal pair to make ufe of ; and when ne® 
ceftity obliges them to make more entrances, they are never 
larger ; fo that, of courfe, the voWMary fubfSls charge; them- 
felves with the talk of providing for the offspring of their 
fovereigns as well as to work and to fight for them until they 
fnall have railed. -a: progeny capable at leaf; of dividing the talk 
with them. 
It is not until this time, probably, that they confummate 
their marriage, as I never, faw a pair of them joined. The* 
bulinefs of propagation, however, loon commences, and the 
labourers having conftrudled a fmall wooden nurfery, as before 
defcribed, carry the eggs, and lodge them there as fad: as they 
can obtain them from: the queen. 
About this time a mod: extraordinary change begins to take: 
place in the qugen, to which I know nothing fimilar, except in 
the PULEX penetrans of the jigger of the Weft 
Indies and in the different fpecies of coccus,, cochineal. 
The abdomen of this female begins gradually to extend and 
enlarge to finch an enormous fize,. that an old queen will have, 
it increafed fa as to-be fifteen hundred or two thoujknd times the. 
bulk of the reft of her body,, and twenty or thirty thoufand 
times the bulk of a labourer, as I have found, by carefully 
weighing and computing the- different ftates (tab.. X. fig, 3.)..., 
The Ikin between the fegments of the abdomen extends in 
every direction. ;; and at laft the. fegments are. removed to half an 
inch 
