204 HABITATIONS OF ANIMALS. 



we used to hide ourselves in the ragged toppes of them, when 

 \ve took up stands to shoot at deere or wild beasts.' Mr. Bos- 

 nian remarks, in his description of Guinea, that ' the ants- 

 make nests of the earth about twice the height of a man.' 



Each of these hills is composed of an exterior and an inte- 

 rior part. The exterior cover is a large clay shell, which 

 is shaped like a dome. Its strength and magnitude are suffi- 

 cient to inclose and protect the interior building from the in- 

 juries of the weather, and to defend its numerous inhabitants 

 from the attacks of natural or accidental enemies. The ex- 

 ternal dome or cover is, therefore, always much stronger than 

 the internal building, which is the habitation of the insects, 

 and is divided with wonderful artifice and regularity into a 

 vast number of apartments for the residence and accommoda- 

 tion of the king and queen, for the nursing of their progeny, 

 and for magazines, which are always well stored with pro- 

 visions. 



These hills make their first appearance in the form of con- 

 ical turrets, about a foot high. In a short time, the insects 

 erect, at a little distance, other turrets, and go on increasing 

 their number and widening their basis till their under works 

 are covered with these turrets, which the animals always 

 raise highest in the middle of the hill, and, by filling up the 

 intervals between each turret, collect them at last into one 

 great dome. 



The^oyal chamber appears to be, in the opinion of this lit- 

 tle people, of the most consequence, and is always situated 

 as near the centre of the interior building as possible, and 

 generally about the height of the common surface of the 

 ground. It is always nearly in the shape of half an egg, or 

 an obtuse oval, within, and may be supposed to represent a 

 long oven. In the infant state of the colony, it is not above 

 an inch, or thereabouts, in length ; but, in time, will be in- 

 creased to six or eight inches, or more, in the clear, being 

 always in proportion to the size of the queen, who, increasing 

 in bulk as in age, at length requires a chamber of such di- 

 mensions. 



The royal chamber is surrounded by an innumerable quan- 

 tity of others, which are of different sizes, figures, and dimen- 

 sions; but all of them are arched either in a circular or an 

 elliptical form. These chambers either open into each other, 

 or have communicating passages, which, being always clear, 

 are evidently intended for the conveniency of the soldiers 

 and attendants, of whom, as will soon appear, great numbers 



