Ch.V.] DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THE AXIS. 73 



thick forest the ants do not make their nests, because, I 

 believe, the ventilation of their underground galleries, 

 about which they are very particular, would be interfered 

 with, and perhaps to avoid the drip from the trees. It 

 is on the outskirts of the forest, or around clearings, or 

 near wide roads that let in the sun, that these forrni- 

 cariums are generally found. JSTumerous round tunnels, 

 varying from half an inch to seven or eight inches in 

 diameter, lead down through the mounds of earth ; and 

 many more, from some distance around, also lead under- 

 neath them. At some of the holes on the mounds ants 

 will be seen busily at work, bringing up little pellets of 

 earth from below, and casting them down on the ever- 

 increasing mounds, so that its surface is nearly always 

 fresh and new-looking. 



Standing near the mounds, one sees from every point 

 of the compass ant-paths leading to them, all thronged 

 with the busy workers carrying their leafy burdens. As 

 far as the eye can distinguish their tiny forms, troops 

 upon troops of leaves are moving up towards the central 

 point, and disappearing down the numerous tunnelled 

 passages. The outgoing, empty-handed hosts are partly 

 concealed amongst the bulky burdens of the incomers, 

 and can only be distinguished by looking closely amongst 

 them. The ceaseless, toiling hosts impress one with, 

 their power, and one asks What forests can stand 

 before such invaders ? How is it that vegetation is not 

 eaten off the face of the earth ? Surely nowhere but in 

 the tropics, where the recuperative powers of nature are 

 immense and ever active, could such devastation be 

 withstood. 



Further acquaintance with the subject will teach the 



