The Natural History of Selborne

Flying ants, male & female, usually swarm, & migrate on hot sunny days in August & Septembr; but this day a vast emigration took place in my garden & myriads came forth in appearance, from the drain which goes under the fruit-wall; filling the air & adjoining trees & shrubs with their numbers.  The females were full of eggs.  This late swarming is probably owing to the backward, wet season.  The day following, not one flying ant was to be seen.  The males, it is supposed all perish: the females wander away; & such as escape the Hirundines get into the grass, & under stones, & tiles, & lay the foundation of future colonies.

Gil. White left us.  The flying ants of the small black sort are in great agitation on the zigzag, & are leaving their nests.  This business used to be carryed on in August in a warm summer.  While these emigrations take place, the Hirundines fare deliciously on the female ants full of eggs.  Hop-picking becomes general; & all the kilns, or as they are called in some counties, oasts are in use.  Hops dry brown, & are pretty much subject this year to vinny, or mould.

My well is very low, & the water foul!  Timothy eats voraciously.  Winged female ants migrate from their nests, & fill the air.  These afford a dainty feast for the hirundines, all save the swifts; they being gone before these emigrations, which never take place till sultry weather in August, & September.

I have seen no ants for some time, except theJet-ants, which frequent gate-posts.  These continue still to run forwards, & backwards on the rails of gates, & up the posts, without seeming to have anything to do.  Nor do they appear all the summer to carry any sticks or insects to their nests like other ants.

Jet-ants still in motion.

My kindey-beans are much withered for want of rain: cucumbers bear: peaches begin to come: endives large, & tyed-up.  Gathered-in the Burgamot-pears; they easily part from their stems.  Hop-picking partly ended.  Myriads of flying ants, of the small pale, yellow sort, fly from their nests & fill the air.

Wheatears (birds) continue to be taken: are esteemed an elegant dish.  Horse-ants travel home to their nests laden with flies, which they have caught; & the aureliae of smaller ants, which they seize by violence.

Winged ants migrate from their nests.  Tame buzzard eats the winged ants.  Swallows congregate in vast flocks.