ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. 33 
came out and passed rapidly over the 
surface ; the sprinkling was continued ; 
the Masons were deceived. ‘They went 
to the bottom of the Nest to pro- 
vide themselves with little masses of 
Earth, which they afterwards brought 
and deposited on the roof; they then 
constructed walls and chambers; in a 
word, a complete story was erected in 
the course of a few hours. ‘This experi- 
ment I frequently repeated, and always 
with the same success. It is in the Spring 
more particularly, that the Mason Ants 
avail themselves of the rain when they 
wish to enlarge the boundaries of their 
nest. Night even does not arrest their 
progress. I have often noticed in the 
morning stories that had been com- 
pletely erected during the night. 
The ants, not content with giving addi- 
tional elevation to their abode, hollow out, 
in the earth, apartments still-more spa- 
cious ; the materials thus obtained, are, as 
before stated, employed in the: exterior 
construction. ‘The art of these insects, 
co 
