154 NATURAL HIS ORY. [CH. VIH. 



of the building 1 , which, being the habitable part, is 

 divided, with a wonderful degree of regularity and 

 contrivance, into an amazing number of apartments 

 for the residence of the king and queen, and the 

 nursing of their numerous progeny ; or appropriated 

 as magazines, to hold provisions. 



These hills make their first appearance above 

 ground by a little turret or two in the shape of su- 

 gar-loaves, rising a foot or more in height. Soon 



after, at some little distance, while the first turrets 

 are increasing in height and size, the insects raise 

 others, and so go on, increasing- their number, and 

 widening their bases, till the space occupied by their 

 under-ground works becomes covered with a series 

 of these elevations ; the centre turret is always the 

 highest ; the intervals between the turrets are then 

 filled up, and the whole collected, as it were, under 

 one dome. These interior turrets seem to be in- 

 tended chiefly as scaffolding for the dome ; for they 

 are, in a great part, removed when that has been 

 erected. 



When these hills have reached somewhat more 

 than half their height, they furnish a convenient 

 stand, where the wild bulls of the district may be 

 seen to station themselves, while acting as senti- 

 nels and watching the rest of the herd reposing and 

 ruminating' below ; thev are sufficiently strong for 





