126 NATURAL HISTORY. 
earth. I took pleafure in obferving, that in proportion as the earth 
dried on the furface, they dug deeper and deeper to depofit their eggs 5 
and when I poured water thereon, it was furprifing to fee with what 
eare, affeGion, and diligence they laboured, to put their brood in fafe- 
ty, in the drieft place. Ihave feen alfo, that when water has beem 
wanting for feveral days, and when the earth was moiftened after it 2 
Jittle, they immediately carried their young ones to have a fhare, whe 
feemed to enjoy and fuck the moifture. 
When the young maggot is come to its full growth, the breaft {wells 
infenfibly, it cafs its fkin, and lofes all motion. All the members 
which were hidden before, then begin to appear, an aurelia is formed, 
which reprefents very diftin@ly, all the parts of the animal, though they 
are yet without motion, and as it were, wrapped up in fwaddling- 
clothes. When at length, the little infe@t has paffed through all its 
changes, and acquired its proper maturity, it burfts this la{t fkin, te 
afflume 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 affiduoully 
break open, with their teeth, the covering in which it is inclofed. With- 
out this affiftance the aurelia would never be able to get free, as Mr- 
De Geer often found, who tried the experiment, by leaving the aurelia 
to themfelves. The old ones not only affift them, but know the very 
precife time for lending their affitance, for if produced too foon the 
young one dies of cold, if retarded too long it is {uffocated in its prifon. 
When the female has done laying, and the whole brood is thus pro- 
duced, her labours, as well as that of the male, become unneceflarys 
and her wings, which fhe had but a fhort time before fo actively em- 
ployed, drop off. What becomes of her when thus divefted of her or- 
maments is not well known, for the is feen in the cells for fome weeks 
after. The males, on the other hand, having no longer, any occupatio#® 
at home, make ofe of thofe wings with which they have been furnithed 
by nature, and fly away, never to return, or to be heard of ‘more. It 
is probable they perifh with the cold, or are devoured by the birds, 
awhich are particularly fond of this petty prey. ‘ 
In the mean time, the working ants having probably depofed theif 
queens, and being deferted by the males, that ferved but to clog the 
community, prepare for the feverity of the winter, and bury their re 
treats as deep in the earth as they conveniently can. It is now foun 
that the grains of corn, and other fubftances with which they furni 
their hill, are only meant as fences to keep off the rigour of the wea- 
ther, not as provifions to fupport them during its continuance. It 38 
found generally to obtain, that every infeét that lives a year after it 
come to its full growth, is obliged to pafs four or five months without 
taking any nourifhment, and will feem to be dead all that time. ¢ 
would be to no purpofe therefore for ants to lay up corn for the wit’ 
ter, fince they lie that time without motion, heaped upon each other 
and are fo far from eating, that they are utterly unable to ftir. Thus 
what authors have dignified by the name of a magazine, appears to bé 
no more than a cavity, which ferves for a common retreat when 
weather forces them to return to their lethargic ftate. 
What has been faid with exaggeration of the European ant, is how” 
ever true, if aflerted of thofe of the tropical climates. They build 2% 
ent-hill with great contrivance and regularity, they lay up proviliow 
an 
