THE WOOD ANT AT HOME. 337 



day, it is very interesting to watch the Ants travelling back- 

 wards and forwards on these roads, some going out to their 

 work, and others returning with bits of stick, blaies of grass, 

 small leaves, and other materials for the nest. Some, again, 

 carry in their jaws caterpillars, flies, and other insects for food, 

 and in all cases, whenever a caterpillar or a grub is carried, it 

 is held by one end of the body, so that it projects straight in 

 front of the Ant. 



8ome Ants are detailed to climb the trees near the path, m 

 search of aphides or other insects, and in many cases, if a tree 

 be examined closely, it will be found to swarm with Ants, even 

 to the ends of the twigs. A smart kick to the trunk of the 

 tree will often bring down quite a shower of Wood Ants, many 

 of them retaining in their jaws the prey which they had cap- 

 i ured. 



The nest, towards which all their labours tend, is mostly 

 built under some sort of cover, such as a bush or tree, though 

 many nests are totally unconcealed. It consists of two por- 

 tions, one below the surface of the ground, and the other above 

 it. Though it is made of such fragile materials as small twigs 

 and leaves, which are put together without any cement or 

 without being even interwoven, it is tolerably firm in its struc- 

 ture, and completely riddled with chambers and passages, all 

 communicating with each other. In consequence of the loose 

 architecture of the nest, it is a very difficult business to see its 

 internal economy, the walls of the chambers and passages 

 falling to pieces as soon as the nest is opened, and leaving not 

 a vestige of their presence except the unfortnnate inhabitants 

 which they contained. 



I have, however, succeeded in obtaining an excellent view 

 into the interior of a Wood Ants' nest, tliough it was but a 

 short one. Accompanied by my friend Mr. H. J. B. Hancock, 

 I was visiting some remarkably fine Wood Ants' nests near 

 Bagshot. We took with us a large piece of plate-glass, placed 

 it edgewise on the top of an ant-hill, and, standing one at each 

 side, cut the nest completely in two, leaving the glass almost 

 wholly buried in it. After tlie expiration of a few weeks, 

 during which time the Ants could repair damages, we retunaed 

 to the spot, and, with a spade, removed one side of the nest as 

 far as the glass, which then served as a window through wbicL. 



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