276 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

from most other insects; for example, in having the larger
part of their community composed of workers, or imperfect
females, who seem to have the sole charge of the young
brood; for though the parent ant lays the eggs, they are
always under the superintendence of the workers, who re-
gulate the degree of heat and moisture necessary for hatch-
ing them. When the young grubs appear, it is on these
attentive nurses that the duty of feeding them devolves,
which they do, either with their own half-digested food,
or some peculiar fluid secreted for that purpose, and it
seems probable that more than one of these kind foster-
mothers is required for each larva. When the larvee are
full-grown, they enclose themselves in cocoons, in which
they undergo the rest of their change; and the attachment
of the workers to these cocoons is even greater than to the
eggs or to the young larve. They may be seen bringing
them out every fine morning, taking them in when the
heat is too intense, sheltering them from rain, and, although
only half the size of their nurslings, running with them as
fleetly as if they had no weight whatever. Their love for
these partially-developed young is so great, that they are
said to invade other ant-hills, to carry off all the cocoons
they can find.