196

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

goblet to those at the breakfast table, not much to thesatisfaction of the latter, amongst whom, besides the hosts,I remember, Mr. Clay, the American member of Congress,Mr. Steuart, and several others to the number of six oreight, all living now, as far as I know. A discussion aroseon the history and qualities of those insects, when, to cut thematter short, I took the whole three out of the gobletwith the sugar tongs, and rolling them up in a slice of breadand butter, popped them into my mouth, chewed themrapidly, and swallowed them. Never shall I forget themistaken horror, expressed by all the party, except thephilosophical and scientific Steuart. The rest gave me upfor lost, but they were very agreeably surprised to find thatno effect whatever was produced upon me by the bolus.

Fortunate is it for the human species, that he has so manyallies in the destruction of insects, which may be truly saidto be the most powerful of the living species. That whichthey want in size, is made up for in number, intelligence,bodily strength, and a combination of organs, far bettercalculated for offence, defence, and mechanical operations,than those of any other class of organised beings. Thehuman species would, most likely, be destroyed, were someone of the moi’e powerful and destructive families of the insecttribes, allowed by circumstances to multiply without subjectionto the numerous kinds of violent deaths they almost all endure.The ant of Barbadoes (formica saccharivora) is a moreterrific enemy to the inhabitants, than ever could be an armyof ten thousand of the fiercest soldiers in the world! Attimes, they have descended from the mountains, literally intorrents, extinguishing the largest fires, filling up rivulets,so as to pass across the dam formed of the carcasses of thosewho perished ; destroying rats, mice, sheep, cats, and evenbirds. A reward of 20,000Z. was offered for the best planof defence against these ants, by the legislature of Barba-