ANT COMMUNITIES 



everywhere around them, the crumbled particles of their 

 .shattered home. Two galleries running side by side, 

 the upper parts of which had been destroyed, were being 

 covered over. They were directed along the bottom 

 of the cavity for three inches, and then slanted up- 

 ward to connect with the standing half-cone. 



The work progressed by continuously adding earth- 

 pellets to the outer edges and pressing them into place. 

 As the sides rose they were gradually arched, and the 

 springing of the arch was plainly seen. The curved 

 edges approached in irregular lines, and at various spots 

 the two projecting points drew near and nearer until 

 they almost touched. It was quite exciting now to 

 watch the delicate manipulation of the masons. Here 

 came a worker with a pellet of larger size than usual. 

 She climbed the arch, moving more daintily as the top 

 was reached. Holding on the while with her hind 

 feet, she stretched across the wee chasm and dropped 

 the ball of soil into the breach. The bridge was 

 laid! 



And now, with surprising rapidity, it widened as the 

 roof of the arch was covered. Until this was done, 

 openings were left through which the ants moved back 

 and forth, and which were closed over as sections of the 

 arch were completed. They were temporary arrange- 

 ments " manholes," so to speak for the convenience 

 of the builders. Through these one could see the ants 

 at work upon the inner surface, smoothing it with their 

 jaws, as a mason would work with his trowel and 

 mortar. The outside of galleries and rooms was left 

 rough, as laid, but the interior was smoothed. Salivary 

 secretions probably gave the additional moisture needed 

 for this. At one point the gallery was widened from 



44 



