THE ANT. 369 



tlie ruin, yet these wonderful insects, still mindful of their pa- 

 rental duties, make it their first care to save their otTspringf. 

 They are seen running wildly about, and different ways, each 

 loaded with a young one, often bigger than the insect that sup- 

 chamber. She then likewise lays a greater number of eggs, and requires more 

 attendants : of course it is necessary that both the number and dimensions 

 of the adjacent apartments should be augmented. Fur this purpose, the small 

 first biiilt nurseries are taken to pieces, rebuilt a little fai'ther otF, and made 

 a size larger, and their number at the same time is increased. Thus the 

 animals are continually employed in pulling down, repairing, or rebuilding 

 their apartments ; and these operations they perform with wonderful sa- 

 gacity, regularity, and foresight. 



The nurseries are enclosed in chambers of clay, like those which contain 

 the provisions ; but they are much larger. In the early state of the nest 

 they are not bigger than a hazel-nut ; but in great hills they are oftentimes 

 four or five inches across. 



The royal chamber, as before observed, is situated as nearly under the 

 apex of the hill as possible, and is surrounded on all sides, both above and 

 below, by what Mr Smeathman calls the royal apartments, which contain 

 only those labourers and soldiers that are employed in defence of the common 

 parents. These apartments compose an intricate labyrinth, which extends 

 a foot or more in tliaraeter from the royal chamber on every side. Here 

 the nurseries and magazines of provisions begin ; and, being separated by 

 small empty chambers and galleries, which surround them, and communi. 

 cate with each other, are continued on all sides to the outward shell, and 

 reach up within two-thirds, or three-fourths of its height, leaving an open 

 area in the middle under the dome. This is surrounded by large pointed 

 arches, which are sometimes two or three feet high next to the front of the 

 area, but diminish rapidly as they recede, and are soon lost among the in- 

 numerable chambers and nurseries behind them. The inferior buihling, or 

 assemblage of nurseries, chambers, and passages, has a flattish floor, with- 

 out any perforation. By this contrivance, if by accident water should 

 penetrate the external dome, the apartments below are preserved from 

 injury. The area has also a. flattish floor, which is situated above the royal 

 chamber ; it is likewise water-proof, and so constructed, that if M'ater gets 

 admittance, it runs oflF by subterraneous passages, which are cylindrical, 

 and some of them so much as even thirteen inches in diameter. These sub. 

 terraneous passages are thickly lined with the same kind of clay of which 

 the hill is composed ; they ascend the internal part of the external shell in a 

 spiral form, and winding round the whole building up to the top, intersect 

 and communicate with each other at different heights. From every part of 

 these large galleries, a number of pipes, or smaller galleries, leading to dif. 

 ferent apartments of the building, proceed. There are likewise a great 

 many which lead do\vuward, by sloping descents, to a considerable depth 

 under the surface of the ground. Other galleries ascend and lead out liori- 

 zontally on every side, and are also carried under ground, but near the 

 surface, to great distances, for the purpose of foraging. 



When a breach is made in one of the walls by an axe or other iustru. 

 ment, the first object that attracts attention is tlie beliaviour of the soldiers 

 iV. 2 I 



