in zoology. See Formica.

Ant-Bear, or Ant-eaters, in zoology. See Myrmecophaga.

Ant-Lion, in zoology. See Formica-Leo.

Ant-Eggs, a name popularly given to a kind of little white balls found in the banks or nests of ants, ordinarily supposed to be the ova of this insect.

Late naturalists have observed, that these are not properly the ants eggs, but the young brood themselves in their first state; they are so many little vermiculi wrapped up in a film, or skin, composed of a sort of silk, which they spin out of themselves as silk-worms and caterpillars do. At first they are hardly observed to stir; but, after a few days continuance, they exhibit a feeble motion of flexion and extension; and begin to look yellowish and hairy, shaped like small maggots, in which shape they grow up till they are almost as large as ants. When they pass their metamorphosis, and appear in their proper shape, they have a small black speck on them close to the anus of the included ant, which Mr. Lewenhoeck probably enough imagines to be the feces voided by it. Dr. Ed. King opened several of these vulgarly reputed eggs; in some of which he found only a maggot in the circumstances as above described; while in another the maggot had begun to put on the shape of an ant about the head, having two little yellow specks, where the eyes were to be. In others, a farther progress was observed, the included maggots being furnished with every thing to complete the shape of an ant, but wholly transparent, the eyes only excepted, which were as black as bugles. Lastly, in others, he took out every way perfect and complete ants, which immediately crept about among the rest. These supposed ants eggs are brought up every morning in summer, near the top of the bank, where they are lodged all the warm part of the day, within reach of the sun's influence. At night, or if it be cool, or like to rain, they carry them down to a greater depth; so that you may dig a foot depth e'er you come at them. The true ants eggs are the white substance which, upon opening their banks, appears to the eye like the scatterings of fine white sugar, or salt, but very soft and tender. Examined by a microscope, it is found to consist of several pure, white appearances, in distinct membranes, all figured like the lesser sort of birds eggs, and as clear as a fishes bladder. The same substance