THE ANT. 
339 
the sun. If a formidable enemy should come to batter down 
their whole habitation, and crush them by thousands in the 
ruin, yet these wonderful insects, still mindful of their pa- 
rental duties, make it their first care to save their offspring. 
They are seen running wildly about, and indifferent ways, each 
loaded with a young one, often bigger than theinsect that sup- 
ports it. “ I have kept,” says Swammerdam, “ several of the 
working ants in my closet, with their young in a glass filled 
with earth. I took pleasure in observing, that in proportion 
as the earth dried on the surface, they dug deeper and deeper 
to deposit their eggs ; and when I poured water thereon, it 
was surprising to see with what care, affection and diligence 
they laboured, to put their brood in safety, in the driest 
place. I have seen also, that when water has been want- 
ing for several days, and when the earth was moistened 
after it a little, they immediately carried their young ones 
to have a share, who seemed to enjoy and suck the mois- 
ture. 
When the young maggot is come to its full growth, the 
breast swells insensibly, it casts its skin, and loses all motion. 
All the members which were hidden before, then begin to 
appear, an aurelia is formed, which represents very distinctly 
all the parts of the animal, though they are yet without 
motion, and, as it were wrapped up in swaddling clothes. 
When at length the little insect lias passed through all its 
changes, and acquired all its proper maturity, it bursts this 
last skin, to assume the form it is to retain ever after. Yet 
this is not done by the efforts of the little animal alone, for 
the old ones very assiduously break open with their teeth 
the covering in which it is enclosed. Without this assist- 
ance, the aurelia would never be able to get free, as Mr. 
De Geer often found, who tried the experiment, by leaving 
the aurelia to themselves. The old ones not only assist 
them, but know the very precise lime for lending their 
assistance; for, if produced too soon, the young one 
dies of cold; if retarded too long, it is suffocated in its 
prison. 
When the female has done laying, and the whole brood is 
thus produced, her labours, as well as that of the male, be- 
come unnecessary ; and her wings, which she had but a 
short time before so actively employed, drop oflT. What be- 
comes of her when thus divested of her ornaments is not 
well known, for she is seen in the cells for some weeks after. 
The males, on the other hand, having no longer any occu- 
pation at home, make use of those wings with which they 
have been furnished by nature, and fly away, never to 
return, or to be heard of more. It is probable they perish 
