38 ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. 
parts of the Ant-hill were the most 
spacious; the ants, however, did not 
appear embarrassed in constructing the 
ceiling to cover them in, although they 
were often more than two inches in 
breadth. 
In the upper part of the angles formed 
by the different walls, they laid the first 
foundations of this ceiling, and from the 
top of each pillar, as from so many centres, 
a layer of earth, horizontal and slightly 
convex, was carried forward to meet the 
several portions coming from different 
points of the large public thoroughfare. 
This busy crowd of Masons, arriving 
from all parts with the piece of mortar 
they wish to add to the building, the 
order they observe in their operations, 
the harmony which prevails, and the 
eagerness with which they avail them- 
selves of the rain to increase the height 
of their abode, present to the contempla- 
tive observer a scene of considerable in- 
terest. 1 NE | 
~ J sometimes, however, laboured under 
15 
