Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/25

 them dead out of the Field, from their Bank. But if you put Black Ants into a Bank of the Red, the Black seem to be so sensible of the strangeness of the place they are in, that there they will not meddle with the Red, but as if they were frighted, and concerned for nothing but self-preservation, run away.

3. Upon opening of these Banks, I observe first a white substance, which to the bare eye looks like the scatterings of fine white Sugar or Salt, but very soft and tender; and it you take a bit of it, as big perhaps as a Mustard-seed, and lay it on the Object-plate of a good Microscope, you may by opening it with the point of a Needle, discern many pure, white and clear appearances in distinct Membrans, all figur'd like the lesser sort of Birds Eggs, and as clear as a Fishes Bladder. This same substance as it hath been just now described, I finde in the Ants themselves, which I take to be the true Ants Eggs; it being obvious to observation, that where ever this is uncover'd, they make it their business to carry it away in their mouths to secure it, and will after you have scatter'd it, lay it on a heap again with what speed they can.

4. I observe they lie in multitudes upon this (if I may so call it) Spawn of theirs; and after a little time, every one of these small adherances is turn'd into a little Vermicle, as small as a Mite, hardly discerned to stir, but after a few days more, you may perceive a feeble motion of flexion and extension, and they begin to look yellowish and hairy, shaped very like a small Maggot; and so, keeping that shape, grow almost as big as an Ant, and have every one a black spot on them.

5. Then they get a Film over them, whitish, and of an Oval shape, for which reason I suppose they are commonly call'd Ants Eggs, which yet (to speak properly) they are not.

6. I have, to prevent mistakes, opened many of these vulgarly call'd Ants Eggs, I mean, the lesser sort, (for there are some as big as a Wheat-corn, others less then a Rye-corn) and in some I finde onely a Maggot, to appearance just such as was described before: In others, I finde a Maggot beginning to put on the shape of an Ant about the head, with two little yellowy specks where the Eyes are design'd: In others a further progress, and furnisht with every thing to compleat the shape of an Ant, but wholly transparent, the Eyes onely excepted, which are then as black as black Bugles. 7. But