OF NATURAL HISTORY. 877 



^the way againft us, ftopping up the different galleries and 



* paflages which lead to the various apartments, particularly 



< the royal chamber, all the entrances to which they hll up 



< fo artfully as not to let it be diftinguifhable while it remains 



< moift ; and, externally, it has no other appearance than 

 « that of a fliapelefs lump of clay. It is, however, eafily 

 « found from its fituation with rerpe<5l to the other parts of 

 « the building, and by the crowds of labourers and foldierg 



* which furround it, who Ihew their loyalty and fidelity by 



* dying under its walls. The royal chamber, in a large neft, 



* is capacious enough to hold many hundreds of the atten- 

 f dants, befides the royal pair ; and you always find it full of 



< them as it can hold. Thefe faithful fubjecls never abandon 



* their charge even in the laft diftrefs 5 for, whenever I took 



< out the royal chamber, and, as I often did, preferved it for 



< fome time in a large glafs bowl, all the attendants continued 

 « running in one dire£tion round the king and queen with 



* the utmofl folicitude, fome of them ftopping at the head of 



* the latter, as if to give her fomething. When they came 

 ' to the extremity of the abdomen, they took the eggs from 



< her, and carried them away, and piled them carefully toge- 



< ther in fome part of the chamber, or in the bowl under, or 



* behind any pieces of broken clay which lay moft conveni- 



< ent for the purpofe.' 



In this chapter, I have given a fuccin(St view of the i'agaci- 

 ty, dexterity, and archite^onic powers, exhibited in the con- 

 ftr^^lion of habitations by the different claffes of animals^ 

 But I am not without apprebeniions, that, in my endeavours 

 to avoid prolixity, I may have, in fome inftances, degenerat- 

 ed into obfcurity. Enough, however, I hope, has been faid, 

 either for the purpofes of admiration or of reafoning ; and, 

 therefore, I fhall not anticipate the refleiStions of my reader;}? 

 but proceed to the next fubjefto 



