THE GREEN ANTS, BLACK ANTS, AND RED ANTS,
OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

The following is an account of three different kinds of ants, that were observed in New South Wales, by the gentlemen who accompanied the expedition under Captain Cook:

"Some (says the writer) are as green as a leaf, and live upon trees, where they build their nests of various sizes, between that of a man's head and his fist. These nests are of a very curious structure: they are formed by bending down several of the leaves, each of which is as broad as a man's hand, and gluing the points of them together, so as to form a purse. The viscous matter used for this purpose, is an animal juice, which nature has enabled them to elaborate. Their method of first bending down the leaves, we had no opportunity to observe; but we saw thousands uniting all their strength to hold them in this position, while other busy multitudes were employed within, in applying this gluten, that was to prevent their returning back. To satisfy ourselves that the leaves were bent and held down by the effort of these diminutive artificers, we disturbed them in their work; and as soon as they were driven from their station, the leaves on which they were employed, sprang up with a force much greater than we could have thought them able to conquer by any combination of their strength. But, though we gratified our curiosity at their expense, the injury did not go unrevenged; for thousands immediately threw themselves upon us, and gave us intolerable pain with their stings, especially those which took possession of our necks and hair, from whence they were not easily driven. Their sting was scarcely less painful than that of a bee; but, unless it was repeated, the pain did not last more than a minute.

"Another sort are quite black, and their operations and manner of life are not less extraordinary. Their

habitations are the inside of the branches of a tree, which they contrive to excavate, by working out the pith almost to the extremity of the slenderest twig; the tree at the same time flourishing, as if it had no such inmate. When we first found the tree, we gathered some of the branches, and were scarcely less astonished than we should have been, to find that we had profaned a consecrated grove, where every tree upon being wounded gave signs of life; for we were instantly covered with legions of these animals, swarming from every broken bough, and inflicting their stings with incessant violence.

"A third kind we found nested in the root of a plant, which grows on the bark of trees in the manner of mistletoe, and which they had perforated for that use. This root is commonly as big as a large turnip, and sometimes much bigger: when we cut it, we found it intersected by innumerable winding passages, all filled with these animals, by which, however, the vegetation of the plant did not appear to have suffered any injury. We never cut one of these roots that was not inhabited, though some were not bigger than a hazel The animals themselves are red, and very small, not more than half as big as the common red Ant in England. They had stings, but scarcely force enough to make them felt: they had, however, a power of tormenting us in an equal, if not in a greater degree; for, the moment we handled the root, they swarmed from innumerable holes, and, running about those parts of the body that were uncovered, produced a titillation more intolerable than pain, except it is increased to great violence."

nut.

Dipterous Insects*.

OF THE OESTRI, OR GAD-FLIES+.

From the posterior part of the body of the Gad-flies, issues a wimble of wonderful structure. It is a scaly cylinder, composed of four tubes, which draw out like the pieces of a spying-glass. The last of these is armed with three hooks, and is the gimlet with which the insect bores through the tough hide of horned cattle, for the purpose of depositing there her egg. When this is hatched, the grub feeds on the matter issuing from the wound; and the nidus forms upon the body of cattle a lump, sometimes above an inch high. Some of the species deposit their eggs in the nostrils of sheep, and others, in places from which the larvæ, as soon as hatched, can be conveyed into the intestines of horses.

The larvæ are without feet, short, thick, soft, and annulate. When full grown, they let themselves fall to the earth, and they generally pass their chrysalid state under cover of the first stone they meet with.

THE OX GAD-FLY ‡.

The eggs of the present species are deposited in the

The Linnean order Diptera, comprises those insects that have only two wings, each furnished at its base with a poise or balancer.

The mouth in the Oestri is merely a simple aperture. They have two feelers, but no beak. The antennæ are short, and consist of three articulations, the last of which is nearly globular, and furnished with a bristle on the fore-part: they are placed in two hollows on the front of the head. The face is broad, depressed, vesicular, and glaucous, and has been thought to have a distant resemblance to that of an ape.

DESCRIPTION.

See Plate xviii. Fig. 6.

This insect has brown unspotted wings, and

back of the ox: and the larvæ lives beneath the skin, between this and the cellular membrane. Its sac or abscess is somewhat larger than the insect, and by narrowing upwards, it opens externally to the air by a small aperture.

The larva is smooth, white, and transparent, when young; but, when full grown, it is of a deep brown. It is also furnished in this state with innumerable minute hooks, ranged in contrary directions on its body; with which, by occasionally erecting or depressing them, it is moved about in the abscess; and from this motion, and the consequent irritation, a greater or less copious secretion of pus takes place for its sustenance.

When the larva is full grown, it effects its escape from the abscess, by pressing against the external opening. When this becomes of sufficient size, it writhes itself through, and falls from the back of the animal to the ground; and, seeking a convenient retreat, becomes a chrysalis. After the exit of the larva, the wound in the skin is generally closed up and healed in a few days.

The Ox Gad-fly is the largest of the European species, and is very beautiful. When the perfect insect leaves the chrysalis, it forces open a very remarkable marginated triangular lid, which is situated on one side of the small end.

The pain it inflicts in depositing its egg, is supposed to be very severe, since, whenever an ox or a cow is attacked by this fly, the presence of the insect is easily known by the extreme terror and agitation of the whole herd. The unfortunate object of attack runs bellowing from among them to some distant part of the heath, or

the abdomen is marked with a black band in the middle, and has dusky yellow hairs at the tip. The front is white, and covered with down; and the thorax is yellowish before, black in the middle, and cinereous behind. The female differs from the male, in having a black style at the extremity of the abdomen. SYNONYMS. Oestrus bovis.

Linn.-L'Oestre des Boeufs.

Latreille.

the nearest water, while its tail, from the severity of the pain, is held with a tremulous motion straight from the body, in the direction of the spine, and the head and neck are also stretched out to their utmost length. The rest, from fear, generally follow to the water, or disperse to different parts of the field.

Such is the dread that cattle have of these flies, that, when one of them has met a herd in their way home from the labour of the day, they have been known to turn back in the utmost affright, regardless entirely of the stones, sticks, and noise of their drivers; and to proceed, without stopping, to some retreat in the water, where they could be secure from its attacks. All flies of this tribe have such an antipathy to water, as never to follow them there.

When oxen are yoked to the plough, the attack of this fly is attended with real danger: they become perfectly uncontrollable, and will often run with the plough directly forward, even through the hedges of the field. To many ploughs there is, on this account, a contrivance to set the animals at liberty the moment they are alarmed.

The female fly is very quick in her operation of depositing the egg; she does not remain on the back of the animal more than a few seconds. The larvæ of this insect are known among the common people, by the name of Wornuls, Wormules, Warbles, or Bots.

THE HORSE GAD-FLY *.

The larvæ of this fly are commonly found in the sto

*See Plate xviii. Fig. 7.

DESCRIPTION. This Gad-fly is distinguished from the rest of its tribe, by having a black band in the middle, and two dots the tip of its whitish wings. The abdomen is yellow brown, black spots at the division of the segments. The female more brown than the male, and has her abdomen elongated a cleft terminal style.

SYNONYMS. Oestrus equi. Linn.-L'Oestre du fondement Chevaux, in France.