HYtoE NO PTE RA« 
59 
of one foot or more ; within this hollow den, fup- 
ported by the roots of trees and plants ; the ants 
come together, live in fociety, {belter themfelves from 
fummer {forms ; from winter frofts ; and take care of 
the eggs. 
The zvdcd ants are larger then "the garden ones-; 
armed with a fmall fling, they wound whatever 
offends them. 
\ 
They are carnivorous; they diffe£l frogs, lizards 
and birds. 
It is curious to fee with what' care they carry the 
new-hatched larvae in their jaws, to expofe them to 
the early rays of the fun : it is chiefly for them that 
the reft go to and fro, bring home, and lay up ; they 
fhortly turn to chryfalids ; in which ftate they want 
no food ; but new cares arife to fuit their fttuation to 
their ftate. The infe£l in due time tears its white 
tranfparent veil ; it is then a real ant. 
Ants pafs the winter in a torpid ftate till fpring re- 
{lores them, they have therefore no need of food for 
' winter in this country. 
Ants are very fond of the honey-like liquor emit¬ 
ted by plant-lice, and they both eat and carry home 
the leaf-lice themfelves, fo that it appears they muft 
do fervice in gardens, by helping to deftroy thofe 
■hurtful infefts, though it muft be owned they claim a 
Thare of the fruit» 
In 
