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CHAPTER XIV. 



ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. — MASOX-ANTS. 



All the species of ants are social. There are none soli- 

 tary, as is the case with bees and wasps. They are all 

 more or less skilful in architecture, some employing ma- 

 sonry, and others being carpenters, wood-carvers, and 

 miners. They consequently afford much that is interest- 

 ing to naturalists who observe their operations. The 

 genuine history of ants has only been recently investi- 

 gated, first by Gould in 1747, and subsequently by Linnoeus, 

 Be Geer, Huber, and Latreille. Previous to that time 

 their real industry, and their imagined foresight, were 

 held up as moral lessons, without any great accuracy of 

 observation; and it is probable that, even now, the 

 mixture of truth and error in Addison's delightful papers 

 in the Guardian (Nos. 156, 157), maybe more generally 

 attractive than the minute relation 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 

 indebted 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 shall, however, 

 discover matter of very considerable interest in those 

 which are indigenous ; and as our principal object is to 

 excite inquiry and observation with regard to those insects 

 which may be easily watched in our own gardens and 

 fields, we shall chiefly confine ourselves to the ants of 

 these islands. We shall begin with the labours of those 

 native ants which may be called earth-masons, from their 



