296 Insect Architecture. 



since Gould's book was published, we find the error still re- 

 peated in very respectable publications.* 



The coping which we aj}ove described as forming the 

 exterior of the wood-ant's nest, is only a small portion of the 

 structure, which consists of a great number of interior cham- 

 bers and galleries, with funnel-shaped avenues leading to 

 them. The coping, indeed, is one of the most essential 

 parts, and we cannot follow a more delightful guide than the 

 younger Huber in detailing its formation. 



" The labourers," he says, " of which the colony is com- 

 posed, not only work continually on the outside of their nest, 

 but, differing very essentially from other species, who wil- 

 lingly remain in the interior, sheltered from the sun, they 

 prefer living in the open air, and do not hesitate to carry on, 

 even in our presence, the greater part of their operations. 



" To have an idea how the straw or stubble-roof is formed, 

 let us take a view of the ant-hill at its origin, when it is 

 simply a cavity in the earth. Some of its future inhabitants 

 are seen wandering about in search of materials fit for the 

 exterior work, with which, though rather irregularly, they 

 cover up the entrance ; whilst others are employed in mixing 

 the earth, thrown up in hollowing the interior, with frag- 

 ments of wood and leaves, which are every moment brought 

 in by their fellow-assistants ; and this gives a certain consis- 

 tence to the edifice, which increases in size daily. Our little 

 architects leave here and there cavities, where they intend 

 constructing the galleries which are to lead to the exterior, 

 and as they remove in the morning the barriers placed at the 

 entrance of their nest the preceding evening, the passages are 

 kept open during the whole time of its construction. We 

 soon observed the roof to become convex ; but we should be 

 greatly deceived did we consider it solid. This roof is des- 

 tined to include many apartments or stories. Having observed 

 the motions of these little builders through a pane of glass, 

 adjusted against one of their habitations, I am thence enabled 

 to speak with some degree of certainty upon the manner in 

 which they are constructed. I ascertained that it is by exca- 

 * See Professor Paxton's Illustrations of Scripture, i. 307. 



