P22 NATURAL HISTORY. 
females are the largeft, the males of a middle fize, and the working 
Ants much lefs than either. 
5. The American Ant is of a very large kind, and fo voracious, that 
they will devour all the leaves of a tree in a night’s time. They havé 
two crooked teeth, which meet each other like nippers, with which 
they cut the leaves of trees, and other things that they feed upot 
‘They fometimes cut them off, and when they are fallen to the ground, 
they carry them to their nefts to feed their brood. Thefe Ants, whet 
they are arrived to their full growth, fhed their coats in the fame man’ 
ner as Flies that proceed from Caterpillars, and then become wingé 
infeéts, in which ftate they lay their eggs. They make their holes it 
the earth of a great depth, and build their nefts very artificially, They 
are great enemies to all other infects, and when they rove abroads 
which is always once a year, they will go into every room of a houfes 
and kill all the Spiders, and other infects that are therein. 
The American Velvet Ant is of the fize of a Hornet, and the body f$ 
elegantly marked with black and crimfon velvet: the breaft is fo ftrong 
and hard, that thoegh they are'trod upon by men or cattle, they re 
ceive no harm: they have a long fting in their tails, which occafions 
great pain and inflammation. : 
The Ants of Brazil in South-America, are very numerous, and de 
vour every thing that comes in their way, whether fruit, fleth, fith, of 
infeéts. There is alfo a flying Ant,. an inch in length, with a triangv’ 
Jar head, and the body feparated into two parts, being only joined to” 
gether by a {mall firing. On the head there are two {lender and long 
horns, or feelers, and their eyes are very {mall. On the fore part of 
breaft, there are fix legs, confifting of three joimts, and they have fout 
thin tranfparent wings, the hindermoft of which are round, and are 0» 
a bright brown colour. ‘hey dig into the ground like moles; but 
they are eaten by the negroes. 
There is another large dat, refembling a Flie, whofe body is fep2/ 
rated into three diftiné parts, the hindermoft of which for fhape a0 
fize, refembles a barley-corn; the middlemoft is of an oblong fhapé: 
with fix legs, each of which is near half an inch long, and confift © 
four joints: the fore part, or head, is pretty thick, and in the fhape 
a heart, with two horns or feelers, and as many black crooked teeth 
the eyes round the pupils, are inclining to black, and the fore af 
hind parts of the head are of a bright red colour. 
There is alfo a bright black Ant with bright rough legs, near an incl? 
in length with a large four-fquare head, and prominent black. eyes a? 
teeth, with two horns or feelers, near half an inch long: the body of 
this is alfo feparated into three parts, the foremoft of which is of 2 
oblong thape, but not very thick, with fix legs, each of which is neat 
half an inch long: the middle part is fmall and fquare, not exceeding, 
the bignefs of a loufe: that behind is the largeft of the three, and is of 
an oval figure, only it is fharp at the end: the three parts are faftene? 
together by a fort of firing. j 
The chefnut brown Ant is alfo a native of Brazil, and has a head 4% 
Jarge as that of other Ants, with two horns or feelers,- and: two tulké 
infiead of teeth: the whole body is covered with’ hair, and. is dividé 
into two parts, the foremoft of which has fix legs, and is fomewha* 
lefsthan that behind, At certain feafons-of the year ithas four wing 
oh 
