HYMENOPTEEA. 383 



>eing mothers themselves, they share in the duties and joy of 

 naternity. Alone, they decide on peace or war ; alone, they take 

 part in combats : head, heart, and arm of the republic, they ensure 

 its prosperity, watch over its defence, found colonies, and in their 

 works show themselves great and persevering artists." 



The nests of ants (Figs. 361, 362) are known under the name 

 of ant-hills. They vary very much, both as to their form, and 

 the materials employed in making them : wood and earth are the 

 principal. That which strikes one at first sight, is the size 

 of these dwellings, which forms a curious contrast to the smallness 

 of their builders. Each species of ant has an order of architec- 

 ture peculiar to it. The Tawny, or Russet-coloured ant (Formica 

 Tufa), one of the commonest in our woods, constructs a little 

 rounded hillock with all kinds of objects, fragments of wood, bits 

 of straw, dry leaves, grains of wheat, the remains of insects, &c. 

 This hillock, whose base is protected by material of greater 

 solidity, is nothing more than the exterior envelope of the nest, 

 which is carried underground to a very great depth. Avenues, 

 cleverly contrived, lead from the summit to the interior. The 

 openings vary in width ; and as night approaches, are carefully 

 barricaded. They are opened every morning except on rainy 

 days, when the doors remain shut, and the inhabitants confined 

 within. 



The ant-hill, or formicarium, is at first simply a hole hollowed 

 out in the soil, the entrance to which is masked by the building 

 materials. But the miners do not cease to hollow out galleries 

 and chambers, arranged by stories. The earth and rubbish are 

 carried out, and serve to construct the upper edifice, which rises at 

 the same time that the excavation grows deeper. It is a laby- 

 rinth bored in all directions. It contains corridors, landings, 

 chambers, and spacious roomsj which communicate with each 

 other by passages which are often vertical. All the corridors 

 lead to a large central space, loftier than the others, and supported 

 by pillars ; it is here that the greater number of the ants congre- 

 gate. These ant-hills often rise to a height of fifteen inches above 

 the ground, and descend to an equal depth. The figure shows the 

 interior of an ant-hill, drawn from nature. Outside it are to be 

 seen some ants, occupied in sucking plant-lice. 



