The natural history of ants / by M.P. Huber. Translated from the French, with additional notes, by J.R. Johnson.

  • Pierre Huber
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of ants / by M.P. Huber. Translated from the French, with additional notes, by J.R. Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that have the corslet stained with black and the scale on its upper margin # brown. They both collect, near their habitation, fragments of straw, pieces of wood, little stones, leaves, and all other objects within reach, that may be of service in in- creasing its height, not neglecting even moths, minute shells, corn, oats, and bar- ley, which doubtless gave rise to their ancient renown. i3ut if this foresight, which we supposed them to possess, has not for its object to preserve them from famine during the winter, a time in which ants eat but little, especially grain, it is not the less worthy of our regard, when we consider its real purport. That little mound which seems at the first glance only an assemblage of mate- rials confusedly scattered, is, however, an invention as ingenious as simple to carry off the waters from the ant-hill, to defend it from the injuries of the air, and from hostile attacks, and to regulate the heat * Vide the description of the fallow ant, and par- ticularly the note in the Appendix.
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