ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. 5 
that have the corslet stained with black 
and the scale on its upper margin * brown. 
They both collect, near their habitation, 
fragments of straw, pieces of wood, little 
stones, leaves, and all other objects within 
reach, that may be of service in in- 
creasing its height, not neglecting even 
moths, minute shells, corn, oats, and bar- 
ley, which doubtless gave rise to their 
ancient renown. But if this foresight, 
which we supposed them to possess, has 
not for its object to preserve them from 
famine during the winter, a time in which 
ants eat but little, especially grain, it is 
not the less worthy of our regard, when 
we consider its real purport. 
That little mound which seems at the 
first glance only an assemblage of mate- 
rials confusedly scattered, is, however, an 
invention as ingenious as simple to carry 
off the waters from the ant-hill, to defend 
it from the injuries of the air, and from 
hostile attacks, and to regulate the heat 
* Vide the description of the fallow ant, and par- 
ticularly the note in the Appendix. 
BS 
