202 FAMILIiE. (Jpis. **. e. 2.) 



for its inhabitants to go in and out at ; this entrance 

 is often through a long gallery, or covered way, 

 sometimes more than a foot in length, by means of 

 which the nest itself is more effectually concealed 

 from observation. The mode in which they trans- 

 port the moss they use is singular : it must be ob- 

 served that they employ such only as grows upon 

 the ground. When they have discovered a parcel 

 of this conveniently situated, they place themselves 

 upon it, with their anus towards the spot to which 

 they mean to convey it : they first take a small 

 portion, and with their maxillae and fore-legs, as it 

 were, card and comb it ; when the pieces are suf-. 

 ficiently disentangled, they are placed under the 

 body by the first pair of legs, the intermediate pair 

 receives them, and delivers them to the last, which 

 pushes them as far as possible beyond the anus. 

 When, by this process, the insect has formed be- 

 hind it a small mass of moss well carded, then, either 

 the same, or another who takes her turn in the 

 business, pushes it nearer to the nest. Thus small 

 heaps of prepared moss are conveyed to its foot, 

 and in a similar manner they are elevated to its 

 summit, or wherever they may be most wanted. 

 A file of four or five insects is occupied at the same 

 time in this employment. These nests are often 

 six or seven inches in diameter, and elevated to the 

 ■ height of four or five above the surface of the 

 ground. When the covering of moss is taken 

 from the nest, the first thing that presents itself is 



an 



