NATURAL HISTORY. £9 
ffiral line without compaffes ; and the pit itfelf refembles the infide of 
4 funnel turned upfide down. ’ 
When this infeét is newly hatched, the firft pit it makes is very fmall; 
‘but as it grows bigger, it makes them larger, one of which is about 
two inches and upwards in diameter, and about as much deep: the 
Work being finifhed, it places itfelf in ambufcade, hiding itfelt at the 
bottom under the. fand, in fuch a manner, that its two horns exaé- 
ly embrace the poimt, which is the bottom and middle of the pit. It 
en waits for its prey; and if by misfortune, a hog loufe, an ant, or 
Sther infect, begins to walk round the-edge of the precipice, which is 
Made fhelving on purpote to make them fall into the trap, which they 
$enerally do, the Ant-Lion never fails to feize upon them. _ When the 
fall of a few grains of fand gives notice of the approach of its prey, it 
begins to fhake the bottom of the fand, which never fails to fall down 
together with the prey. But if the prey is ‘fo nimble, as to run or fly 
away fpeedily, it fhoots up the fand, which falls down again like hait 
upon it, and it being blinded and overwhelmed therewith, it is dragged 
y the motion of the fand to the center of the hole, where it falls be- 
tween the two feelers or nippers of the enemy, and is foon buried in the 
fand, where the Ant-Lion feeds upon it. When there remains nothing 
‘but the fhell of the body, this infe& takes it up with its feelers, and- 
throws it at leaft fix inches from the edge of the pit; and then it goes 
to work again to repair the damage that has been done. It is won- 
derful to confider that this infect will wait patiently for its prey, fome- 
times a week, or even a month, without ftirring from its place, and 
Confequently without eating. Some of thefe that have been kept ina 
0x with fand, have lived fix months and upwards, without feeding at 
all. However it muft be owned, that thofe that feed, become much 
“areer, and more ftrong. a . 
. When the 4nt- Lion attains a certain age, in which it is to change 
‘mto another form, then it leaves of making pits; but it continues to 
Make furrows in the land, though in an irregular manner, probably 
‘With a defign to put itfelf in a fweat; after which it hides itfelf under 
the fand. Either the fweat, or a gummy liquor that proceeds from 
the body, unites the grains of fand, which form a fort of cruft all over 
it, and then it appears like a ball, half an inch in diameter; but fo as 
to leave room enough for the infeét to move, but it mult be obferved, 
that the gummy liquor alfo condenfes into a thread, finer than thofe 
Of the filk- worm, which it firft fixes to one place, then to another, crof- 
ng and recroffing it in fuch a manner, as to line the infide of its re- 
_ Treat with a fine filky ftuff work, of a pearl colour, extremely delicate, 
and perfedtly beautiful. But though the work is fo curious and com- 
Modious on the infide, without it appears to be nothing but fand, info- — 
Much that ir cannot eafily be diftinguifhed from that which lies next it, 
Bad fo it efcapes the fearch of birds, that might otherwife prey upon it. 
This infe@ continues thus {hut up for fix weeks, or two months, and 
Sradually parts with its eyes, its feelers, its feet, and its fin; and all 
the flough falls to the bottom of the ball like a rag: then there re- 
we Nymph, which has other legs, other feet, and other entrails; as 
: © wings which are wrapped up in a icin, which feems to be nothing 
© but a liquor dried.on its outfide, in the fame manner as it hap- 
Pens to all forts of Butterflies. ei the members of this new in- 
12 {ed 
