A TOUR THROUGH A TEXAS ANT-HILL. 2G3 



on the if. I was frequently surprised at the abiUty of 

 these cuttuig-ant masons to excavate vast halls and 

 subterranean avenues. I visited several holes in the 

 vicinity of Austin, out of which 'beds ' or nests of ants 

 had been dug by an old man who used to follow the 

 business of an ant-exterminator. These holes were 

 nearl}' as large as the cellar of a small house. One 

 such excavation, about three miles from the city, was 

 twelve feet in diameter and fifteen feet deep. At the 

 lowest point the main cave or chamber had been found 

 which, I was told, was as large as a flour barrel. In 

 this central cavern were many winged insects, males 

 and females, and quantities of larvae. It was the head' 

 quarters of the formicary, whence, in various dii'ec- 

 tions, radiated avenues through which the workers 

 issued upon their numerous raids. 



"I was struck by the engineering skill displayed in 

 laying out these avenues. Take this example. The 

 nest of Avhich I speak was situated 669 feet from a tree 

 that stood in the front yard of a gentleman's house. 

 The tree had been stripped bare of leaves b}' the cutting- 

 ants ! Assisted by a young civil engineer, I took the 

 range of the underground way traversed to reach this 

 point, and from the survey, an accurate route was con- 

 structed by a friend in the office of the Pennsylvania 

 Railroad. This is a copy of it (see page 264.) You 

 see that the course varies little from a direct line. 

 There were no turnings or twistings, but the tunnel ran 

 from point to point straight as an arrow flies. In this 

 respect the map is true to the facts." (Fig. 90.) 



