MASON-ANTS. 233 



rapidity, and in a short time the whole of the fallen parts 

 were rebuilt, and rendered as smooth as if polished with a 

 trowel. 



When a gardener wishes to water a plot of ground 

 where he has sown seeds that require nice management, 

 he dips a strong brush into water, and passes his hand 

 backwards and forwards over the hairs for the purpose 

 of producing a fine artificial shower. Huber successfully 

 adopted the same method to excite his ants to recom- 

 mence their labours, which had been interrupted for want 

 of moisture. But sometimes, when they deem it unadvi- 

 sable to wait for rain, they dig down (as we remarked 

 to be the practice of the mason-bees) till they arrive at 

 earth sufficiently moist for their purpose. They do not, 

 however, like these bees, merely dig for materials ; for 

 they use the excavations for apartments, as well as what 

 they construct with the materials thence derived. They 

 appear, in short, to be no less skilful in mining than in 

 building. 



Such is the general outline of the operations of this 

 singular species ; but we are still more interested with the 

 history which M. P. Huber has given of the labours of an 

 individual ant. " One rainy day," he says, " I observed 

 a labourer of the dark ash-coloured species (^Formica fusca) 

 digging the ground near the aperture which gave entrance 

 to the ant-hill. It placed in a heap the several fragments 

 it had scraped up, and formed them' into small pellets, 

 which it deposited here and there upon the nest. It 

 returned constantly to the same place, and appeared to 

 have a particular design, for it laboured with ardour and 

 perseverance. I remarked a slight furrow, excavated in 

 the ground in a straight line, representing the plan of a 

 path or gallery. The labourer (the whole of whose move- 

 ments fell under my immediate observation) gave it greater 

 depth and breadth, and cleared out its borders ; and I saw, 

 at length — in which I could not be deceived— that it had 

 the intention of establishing an avenue which was to lead 

 from one of the stories to the underground chambers. This 

 path, which was about two or three inches in length, and 



