Chapter XIV. 



Arcliitectiire of Ants.— Mason-Auta. 



All the species of ants are social. There are none 

 solitary, as is the case with bees and wasps. Thef 

 are all more or less skilful in architecture, some em 

 ploying masonry, and others being carpenters, wood 

 carvers, and miners. They consequently afford muct 

 that is interesting to naturalists who observe their 

 operations. The genuine history of ants has only 

 been recently investigated, first by Gould in 1747, 

 and subsequently by I.inna^us, De Geer, Huber, 

 and Latreille, Previous to that time their real indus- 

 try, and their imagined foresight, were held up as 

 moral lessons, w ithout any great accuracy of observa- 

 tion; and it is probable that, even now, the mixture 

 of truth and error in Addison's delightful papers in 

 the Guardian (Nos. 156, 157), may be more gene- 

 rally attractive than the minute relations of careful 

 naturalists. Gould disproved, most satisfactorily, 

 the ancient fable of ants storing up corn for winter 

 provision, no species of ants ever eating grain, or 

 feeding in the winter upon anything. It is to 

 Huber the younger, however, that we are chiefly in- 

 debted for our knowledge of the habits and economy 

 of ants; and to Latreille for a closer distinction of 

 the species. Some of the more interesting species, 

 whose singular economy is described by the younger 

 Huber, have not been hitherto found in this country. 

 We sb.all, however, discover matter of very consider- 

 able interest in those which are indigenous; and as 

 our principal object is to excite inquiry and observa- 

 tion with regard to those insects which may be 

 easily watched in our own gardens and fields, we 



