55- 



ANTS. 



( 19041 ) she has published more detailed directions for its construc- 

 tion. These 1 give in her own words, together with some of her 

 figures ( Figs. 283 -'S; : 



" The floor of the ne-t is a pane of double-thick, transparent glass. 

 This is laid upon very thick, white blotting-paper, giving an elastic bed 

 to the pane of glass and the best background for observation of the 

 ants. The paper has just the area of the glass, but is not fastened 

 thereto. 



"The outer walls of the nest are laid a quarter of an inch, or six 

 millimeters, from the edge of the pane. They consist of two strips of 

 double-thick glass, a half inch, or thirteen millimeters, wide, the one 



1 



FIG. 284. Fielde nest of three chambers seen from above, with opaque covers re- 

 moved. (Photograph by J. G. Hubbard and Dr. O. S. Strong.) 



superimposed on the other. Both are held in place by crockery cement. 

 The wall is smoothly laid up, with no interstices where an ant may 

 hide or escape. 



'The partitions are double the width of the wall, which they other- 

 wise copy. At one end of every partition a space is left whereby the 

 ants may pass from room to room. This passageway is covered by a 

 thin celluloid film, or a piece of mica. It is desirable that this covering 

 be transparent, so that the passageway underneath it may be scanned 

 from above, on lifting the end of the towelling which is to overlay it. 



" After the cement is well dried, the edge of the floor-pane and 

 the outside of the walls are covered with a cambric impervious to light. 

 Cloth serves better for this purpose than does paper, the edges of the 

 nest being subject to much handling. Le Page's or some other good 

 liquid glue is used for securing the fabric upon the walls. 



' The walls and partitions are topped by Turkish towelling of a 

 sleazy sort, folded over one layer of cotton wadding so that the edges 



