i88 RIVERSIDE LETTERS xxiv 



seems to have been repaired and a fresh lot 

 of eggs again heaped on the surface. 



I have treated one nest in this way three 

 times and yet to-day the ants are again plac- 

 ing a fresh pile of eggs on the top. From 

 which I gather that though their persever- 

 ance and their fecundity are enormous their 

 reasoning powers are very deficient. 



It is this perpetual bringing up of the eggs 

 to hatch in the warmth of the sun, which 

 occasions the ant-hills in the meadows, for 

 fine grains of earth are brought up each time, 

 with the eggs, gradually forming large heaps. 



After a heavy rain in summer time, a num- 

 ber of small ant-heaps are always seen on 

 different parts of the lawn. Are these little 

 heaps the proceeds of the repairs which have 

 becorrte necessary after the rain ? If you ex- 

 amine these small piles you will generally 

 find that they contain a few eggs. Have 

 these been brought up to dry? Or if the 

 heap were left alone would it in a short time 

 become larger and contain more eggs ? I 



