130 ROMANCE OF THE INSECT WORLD CHAP. 



soil, kneading and moulding it with their mandibles 

 into ductile pellets, an action analogous to brick- 

 making, others were as diligently scooping out 

 shallow cavities in the clay floor, the ridges that were 

 left being the foundations of the future walls. On 

 these pellet after pellet prepared for use were adjusted, 

 and spread firmly and evenly, greater compactness 

 being obtained by light pressure of the ants' fore-feet. 

 However numerous the masses may be, the walls when 

 finished look uniform and unbroken. Openings are 

 made where necessary in the masonry to admit of 

 communication, and when the two walls of any gallery 

 or chamber reach the proper height the space between 

 them is covered in by the ceiling. The method of 

 construction is to mould pellets into each angle of the 

 apartment, and also to the top of the pillars, extending 

 the roof by successive layers of pellets, as fast as one 

 row becomes dry a second being added until the 

 approaching sides meet. 



No glutinous matter is introduced into the masses 

 of clay by way of mortar or size for consolidating or 

 strengthening the building. The particles adhere 

 merely by juxtaposition, the peculiar kneading and 

 biting to which they are subjected rendering them very 

 tenacious. Moisture, however, is absolutely necessary 

 to the ants, and if deprived of it in the shape of gentle 

 showers, or if the clay from below is not properly 

 damp of itself, they abandon their labour as hopeless 

 and wait patiently for rain. In the event of the con- 

 tinuance of dry weather, they pull down again the 

 crumbling apartments that are not covered in. As 

 regards the ants kept by Huber in captivity, he found 



