290 THE LIFE OF AN INSECT. 



vast number of apertures. They afterwards at- 

 tempted to enlarge these openings, by tearing or 

 drawing away the silk ; but these efforts proving 



Glased Ant-hill of M. Huber. 



ineffectual, they passed one of their mandibles 

 into the cocoon, through the apertures they had 

 formed, and by cutting each a thread, one after 

 the other, with great patience, at length effected a 

 passage, of a line * in diameter, in the superior part 

 of the web. They now uncovered the head and 

 feet of the prisoner, to which they were desirous 

 of giving liberty ; but, before they could effect its 

 Telease, it was absolutely necessary to enlarge the 



* That is, the twelfth part of an inch. 



