ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. $1 
which, no longer possessing the same 
adherence, readily fell into powder. ‘The 
ants, finding their efforts ineffectual, 
were at length discouraged, and aban- 
doned their employment ; but what was 
my astonishment, when I saw them des- 
troy all the apartments that were yet un- 
covered, scattering here and there over 
the last story, the materials of which 
they had been composed! These facts 
incontestably prove, that they employ 
neither gum, nor any kind of ce- 
ment to bind together the several sub- 
stances of their nest, but in place of this 
avail themselves of the rain, to work or 
knead the earth, leaving the sun and 
wind to dry and consolidate it.* In the 
* I was in the habit of visiting, almost daily, for 
amonth, an extensive nest of Red Ants, of which 
a large flat stone formed the roof.— During my 
visits for the first three weeks, scarcely a drop of 
rain had fallen, and the nest seemed to be consider- 
ably injured by the continual falling in of loose 
earth, which these little creatures with amazing 
industry removed, whenever it happened any of the 
avenues were blocked up. No attempt was ever 
made towards reparation; but what was my sur- 
Cc 4 
