NATURAL HISTORY. 21 
tbitmion for them to ferve domeftic fowls in the fame manner, and 
‘tven the rats themfelves cannot efcape them. If you place a Worm 
dra Beetle, only wheie one or two Ants are, they will immediately 
departs and bring with them above an hundred; after which they feize, 
their prey; and march off with it in good order. Thefe Ants are of 
Various forts, fome great, others fmail, fome black, and others red ; 
the Ring-of this laft is very painful, and caufes an inflammation; the 
White are as tranfparent as chryftal, and have fuch ftrong teeth, that 
™ a night’s time, they will eat their way through a thick wooden chelt; 
and make it as full of holes, as if it had been penetrated by hail thot. 
There aré alfo feveral forts of Ants in the Ea/-Lndies; whofe numbers 
8re prodigious ; fome of them are exceeding large, and of a ruddy co- 
four; inclining to black, and fome have wings; but others have none. 
‘hey are very pernicious to the fruits of the earth, and do a great 
@eal of mifchief in houfes, unlefs great care is taken to prevent them. 
dt is remarkable, that if one Ant meets another that is loaden, it al- 
Ways gives way to let it pais freely. : 
1. The Hor/e-ant is the largeft of this kind in Eagland, being twice 
as big as the common fort; it has a black head; and has a brealt of a 
duiky irori-grey colour, only it is black towards the hinder part; and 
White at the other extremity. The legs are iron-grey, and the feale 
Which is placed between the body and the breaft is of a roundifh ovat 
gure, pointed at the top, and undivided; the body is brown, and 
fonfifts of five fegments. It is ufually met with in hollow trees, 
_ 2. The red dat is fmaller than the common fort, having a {mall 
ead, and a large breaft; and the feale which feparates that from the 
dy, is of a roundifh fhape, and flightly dentated. The legs are flen- 
Ger; and the wings are very thin, and of a brownifh colour. It is met 
With in dry paftures, on the leaves and ftalks of the fmaller weeds. 
3. Vhe black nt is neither fo large as the common fort, nor fo’ 
fmall as the red Ant, its head is large, in proportion to the body, and 
e brealt is flatted, being at fome diltance from the hinder part. The 
— 4tale that feparates them, is of an oval thape, and undivided on the 
€dges.; the legs are longer and flenderer than in the other kinds: It 
met with in heaths; and in dry pailures. 
4. The common dat is of a dark brown or reddith colour, with 
1 
ich there are two prominent eyes, like thofe of a Flie, buat fmaller. 
0 the fnout there are two horns or feelers, and beyond them two in- 
Snted jaws, which open fide ways, very wide, and at the ends of them’ 
_ Mere are teeth, which flide on the fide of each other, when the mouth’ 
fhute With thefe it is able to hold a body three times its own weight. 
ttha, fiz legs, {haped like thofé of a Flie, and the body confilts of three 
ints oy fegments, and fome of them have long wings, with which’ 
ey-are enabled to fly where they pleate.. The whole -body-is cafed’ 
ith a fort of armour, and when viewed through a microféope, feeny 
SVered with multitudes of fmall white thining briftles, and the legs, 
tlers, head, aud the middle part of the body, are furnilhed with hairs, 
tare fmallér; and of a darker colour. Some have obferved, that’ - 
*S in Bees, thofe that make up the great body of the Ants, are neither 
le nor female, thefe lait only having wings, and the refi none. The’ 
largo lest 
es emaley 
ng legs, on the hindermolt of which it will raife itfelf, as if it wante 
“d to fee at a diftance. It has a large head, at the upper end of . 
