the fmall Ants were the Females, and fupplied the 
Colony with Young: After a juft Defcription of the 
Sperm 4 >r Eggs, Sir Edmond obferves, that he found 
that Subftance among the common Ants $ and that 
he gave the more Credit to that Opinion, becaufe of 
the great Care and Tendernefs with which they treat 
it.-— But our Author docs not allow this Reafon to 
be conclufive, inafmuch as the fame is to be met with 
in the Conftitution of Bees 5 adding, That having 
at all Times of the Year obferved the common Ants, 
he could never difcern any Alteration in their Bodies 
but what was occafion d by Food, or fome Acci- 
dent. 
The Queen, he fays, lays three different Sorts of 
Eggs, Male, Female, and Neutral: The two firft in 
the Spring 5 the laft in July, and Part of Augufl . 
CHAP. V. Our Author treats of the Change of the 
Eggs toVermicles, &c. and gives us an Account of 
their furpriftng Continuance in that State. . 
The Queen having furnifhed the Eggs, he fays, the 
common Ants brood over them in little Clufters, 
perhaps by way of Incubation $ and remove them to 
different Parts of the Colony, for the better Advan- 
tage of Moifture, and a juft Degree of Heat and Cold. 
The Time of Continuance in the Egg-State is fome- 
what uncertain : But he fays they feem to difengage 
themfclves from the Membranes that inclofe the Eggs 
in the fame Manner as Silk-worms do. 
The Procefs of Ant*Vermicles, he tells us, is re- 
markable, and worth Obfervation. The Femal e 
Eggs put on the Form of Worms fome time in Fe- 
bruary, at farthcft 5 the Male by the latter End of 
7 March s 
