264 INSECT ARCHITECTURE, 



upper part of the building ; they affixed to the 

 interior and upper part of each wall, fragments of 

 moistened earth, in an almost horizontal direction, 

 and in such a way as to form a ledge, which, by 

 extension, would be made to join that coming from 

 the opposite wall. These ledges were about half a 

 line in thickness; and the breadth of the galleries 

 was, for the most part, about a quarter of an inch. 

 On one side several vertical partitions were seen to 

 form the scaffolding of a lodge, which communicated 

 with several corridors, by apertures formed in the 

 masonry; on another, a regularly-formed hall was 

 constructed, the vaulted ceiling of which was sus- 

 tained by numerous pillars; further off, again, might 

 be recognised the rudiments of one of those cross 

 roads of which I have before spoken, and in which 

 several avenues terminate. These parts of the ant- 

 hill were the most spacious; the ants, however, did 

 not appear embarrassed in constructing the ceiling 

 to cover them in, although they were often more 

 than two inches in breadth. 



" In the upper part of the angles formed by the 

 different walls, they laid the first foundations of this 

 ceiling, and from the top of each pillar, as from so 

 many centres, a layer of earth, horizontal and slightly 

 convex, was car ried forward to meet the several 

 portions coming from different points of the large 

 public thoroughfare. 



'' I sometimes, however, laboured under an ap- 

 prehension that ■ the building could not possibly 

 resist its own weight, and that such extensive ceilings, 

 sustained only by a few pillars, would fall into ruin 

 from the rain which continually dropped upon them; 

 but I was quickly convinced of their stability, from 

 observing that the earth, brought by these insects, 

 adhered at all points, on the slightest contact; and 

 that the rain, so far from lessening the cohesion of 



