.364 HISTORY OF 



their hill, where they are carefully defended from cold and mois- 

 ture. We are not to suppose, that those white substances which 

 we so plentifully find in every ant-hill, are the eggs as newly 

 laid. On the contrary, the ant's egg is so very small, that, 



are extremely well sheltered in their chambers, the largest of which is 

 placed nearly in the centre of the building ; it is much loftier than the rest, 

 and traversed only by the beams that support the ceiling- ; it is in this spot 

 that all the galleries terminate, and this forms, for the most part, their 

 usual residence. As to the underground portion, it can only be seen when 

 the ant-hill is placed against a declivity ; all the interior may be then readi 

 ly brought in view, by simply raising up the straw-roof. The subterranean 

 residence consists of a range of apartments, excavated in the earth, taking 

 a horizontal direction." 



Tliere is this remarkable difference in the nest of the wood-ants, that they 

 do not construct a long covert way as if for concealment, as the yellow and 

 the brown ants do. The wood-ants are not, like them, afraid of being stir- 

 prised by enemies, at least diu-ing tlie day, when the whole colony is either 

 foraging in the vicinity or employed on the e.xterior. But the proceedings 

 of the wood-ants at night are well worthy of notice ; and when M. Huber 

 began to study their economy, he directed his entire attention to tlieir 

 night proceedings. " I remarked," says he, " that their habitations changed 

 in appearance hourly, and that the diameter of those spacious avenues, 

 where so many ants could freely pass each other during the day, was, as 

 night approached, gradually lessened. The aperture, at length, totally dis- 

 appeared, the dome was closed on all sides, and the ants retired to the bot^ 

 tom of their nest. In further noticing the apertures of these ant-hills, I 

 fully ascertained the nature of the labour of its inhabitants, of which I 

 could not before even guess the purport ; for the surface of the nest pre- 

 sented such''a constant scene of agitation, and so many insects were occu- 

 pied in carrying materials in every direction, that the movement otfered no 

 other image than that of confusion. I saw then clearly that they were en. 

 gaged in stopping up passages ; and for this purpose, they at first brought 

 forward little pieces of wood, which they deposited near the entrance of 

 those avenues they wished to close ; they placed them in the stubble ; they 

 then went to seek other twigs and fragments of wood, which they disposed 

 above the first, but in a different direction, and appeared to choose pieces 

 of less size in proportion as the work advanced. 'Ihey, at length, brought 

 in a number of dried leaves, and other materials of au enlarged form, with 

 which they covered the roof: an exact miniature of the art of our builders, 

 when they form the covering of any building ? Nature, indeed, seems 

 everywhere to have anticipated the inventions of which we boast, and this 

 is doubtless one of the most simple. Our little insects, now in safety in 

 their nest, retire gradually to the interior before the last passages are 

 closed, one or two only remain without, or concealed behind the doors on 

 g\iard, whilst the rest either take their repose, or engage in different occu. 

 pations in the most perfect security. I was impatient to know what tool 

 place in the morning upon these ant-hills, and therefore visited them at no 

 early hour. I found tliem in the same state in which 1 had left them th 

 preceding evening. A few ants were wandering about on tiic surface of 



