ARCHITECTURE OF ANTS. 85 
3. ARCHITECTURE OF THE DARK ASH- 
COLOURED ANTSe 
These Ants, which are fully described 
in the Appendix, are distinguished, ac- 
— 
greatest height ; they afterwards cover in the spaces 
between them, and then take down the sides of all 
the inner turrets, leaving only the upper portion to 
form the cupola or dome, making use of the clay 
they thus procure, in the formation of the several 
chambers intended for magazines, nurseries, Xc. 
The nurseries are entirely composed of wooden 
materials, enclosed in chambers of elay, usually 
half an inch in width, ranged around, and as close 
as possible to the royal apartment. The royal 
chamber, which, with the rest, are arched over, occu- 
pies as nearly as possible the centre of the building, 
and is on a level with the surface of the ground ; 
it is at first only an inch in length, but increases 
in size with that of the Queen, until it extends to 
six or more inches. In this chamber the King and 
Queen are rétained close captives ; it is impossible 
they can ever quit it; the entrance only allowing of 
the passing and repassing of the Soldiers and 
Labourers (the Queen, in the Jast stage of her 
pregnancy, is 1000 times the weight of the King, 
and equal in bulk to about 20,000 Labourers, 
although, on her first appearance as a winged insect, 
she equalled only in bulk about 30 Labourers,— 
her abdomen increases from half an inch to three 
imches in length, and she lays, according to Smeath- 
c 6 
