end. In such a case, the strongest Ants, or those that were not so weary, having carried their corn to their nests, came down again to help them. Some were so unfortunate as to fall down with their load, when they were almost come home. When this happens they seldom lose their corn, but carry it up again.

I saw one of the smallest carrying a large grain of wheat with incredible pains; when he came to the box where the nest was, he made so much haste that he fell down with his load, after a very laborious march: such an unlucky accident would have vexed a philosopher. I went down, and found him with the same corn in his paws: he was ready to climb up again. The same misfortune happened to him three times. Sometimes he fell in the middle of his way, and sometimes higher; but he never let go his hold, and was not discouraged. At last his strength failed him, he stopt; and another Ant helped him to carry his load, which was one of the largest and finest grains of wheat that an ant can carry. It sometimes happens that a corn slips out of their paws,

when they are climbing up; they take hold of it again, when they can find it; otherwise they look for another, or take something else, being ashamed to return to their nest without bringing something. This I have experienced, by taking away the grain which they looked for. All these experiments may easily be made by any one that has patience enough. They do not require so great a patience as that of Ants; but few people are capable of it.

Thus my Ants were forced to make shift for a livelihood, when I had shut up the garret, out of which they used to fetch their provisions. At last being sensible that it would be a long time before they could discover the small heap of corn which I had laid up for them, I resolved to show it to them.

In order to know how far their industry could reach, I contrived an expedient, which had good success: the thing will appear incredible to those who never considered, that all animals of the same kind, which form a society, are more knowing than others. I took one of the largest Ants and threw her

upon that small heap of wheat. She was so glad to find herself at liberty, that she ran away to her nest, without carrying off a grain; but she observed it; for, an hour after, all my Ants had notice given them of such a provision, and I saw most of them very busy in carrying away the corn I had laid up in the room. I leave you to judge, whether it may not be said, that they have a particular way of communicating their knowledge to one another; for otherwise how could they know one or two hours after, that there was corn in that place? It was quickly exhausted; and I put in more, but in a small quantity, to know the true extent of their appetite or prodigious avarice; for I make no doubt but they lay up provisions against the winter. We read it in holy scripture; a thousand experiments teach us the same; and I do not believe that any experiment has been made that shows the contrary.

I have said before, that there were three Ants' nests in that box or parterre, which formed, if I may say so, three different cities governed by the same laws, and observing the same order, and the same customs, How

ever there was this difference, that the inhabitants of one of those holes seemed to be more knowing and industrious than their neighbours. The Ants of that nest were disposed in better order; their corn was finer; they had a greater plenty of provisions; their nest was furnished with more inhabitants, and they were bigger and stronger it was the principal and the capital nest.

Nay, I observed that those Ants were distinguished from the rest, and had some pre-eminence over them.

Though the box full of earth, where the Ants had made their settlement, was generally free from rain; yet it rained sometimes upon it, when a certain wind blew. It was a great inconvenience for those insects: Ants are afraid of water; and when they go a great way in quest of provisions, and are surprised by the rain, they shelter themselves under some tile, or something else, and dơ not come out until the rain is over. The Ants of the principal nest found out a wonderful expedient to keep out the rain: there was a small piece of flat slate, which they laid over the hole of their nest in the day

time, when they foresaw it would rain, and almost every night. Above fifty of those little animals, especially the strongest, surrounded that piece of slate, and drew it equally in wonderful order: they removed it in the morning, and nothing could be more curious than to see those little animals about such a work. They had made the ground uneven about their nest, insomuch that the slate did not lie flat upon it, but left a free passage underneath. The Ants of the other two nests did not so well succeed in keeping out the rain. They laid over their holes several pieces of old dry plaster one upon the other; but they were still troubled with the rain; and the next day they took much pains to repair the damage. Hence it is that those insects are so frequently to be found under tiles, where they settle themselves to avoid the rain. Their nests are at all times covered with those tiles, without any incum brance, and they lay out their corn and their dry earth in the sun about the tiles, as one may see every day. I took care to cover the two Ants' nests that were troubled with the

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