THE COASTS OF SAINTONGE. 349 



full, and took every precaution to screen them from 

 the light ; and, as my prisoners were unable to scale 

 their glassy walls, I could observe them at my 

 leisure ; and I was thus enabled to follow in detail 

 the various steps by which they transformed into a 

 regular nest the confused mass of earth and rubbish, 

 in the midst of which they had at first been thrown. 



A very few minutes after the bowl had been 

 placed on my table, each insect endeavoured to join 

 his companions. Some attempted to climb along the 

 smooth walls of their prison, but after a few unsuc- 

 cessful attempts, they buried themselves in the midst 

 of the earth. The entire troop was soon dispersed, 

 and I saw them divided into small groups on the 

 darkest part of the bowl. After a few hours the 

 various groups were reunited into one, and from 

 this moment their labours began and were continued 

 in common. 



The first care of the Termites seemed to be to lay 

 down a sort of high road all round the bowl, and as 

 the materials were very unequally distributed, they 

 were obliged to clear away some parts, and to fill 

 up others. The first of these tasks was easy, but 

 the second gave them more trouble. The workmen 

 first transported a certain quantity of earth, intended 

 to raise the soil to the required height, and they 

 next constructed an arch above it. I saw them come 

 one after the other, each carrying between his jaws 

 a little mass of earth, which he applied without 

 pausing to the projecting edge of the work ; next he 

 descended by a kind of incline which had been ex- 

 pressly constructed for the purpose, and returned 



