266 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



there over the last story the materials of which they 

 had been composed! These facts incontestably 

 prove, that they employ neither gum, nor any kind 

 of cement, to bind together the several substances 

 of their nest; but in place of this avail themselves of 

 the rain, to work or knead the earth, leaving the sun 

 and wind to dry and consolidate it."* 



Dr Johnson of Bristol observed very similar pro- 

 ceedings in the case of a colony of red ants [Mijr- 

 mica rubral), the roof of whose nest was formed 

 by a flat stone. During dry weather, a portion of 

 the side walls fell in ; but the rubbish was quickly 

 removed, though no repairs were attempted till a 

 shower of rain enabled them to work. As soon as 

 this occurred, they worked with extraordinary rapi- 

 dity, and in a short time the whole of the fallen 

 parts were rebuilt, and rendered as smooth as if 

 polished with a trowel. 



When a gardener wishes to water a plot of ground 

 where he has sown seeds that require nice manage- 

 ment, he dips a strong brush into water, and passes 

 his hand backwards and forwards over the hairs for 

 the purpose of producing a fine artificial shower. 

 Huber successfully adopted the same method to excite 

 his ants to recommence their labours, which had been 

 interrupted for want of moisture. But sometimes 

 when they deem it unadvisable to wait for rain, they 

 dig down (as we remarked to be the practice of the 

 mason-bees) till they arrive at earth sufficiently moist 

 for their purpose. They do not, however, like these 

 bees, merely dig for materials; for they use the exca- 

 vations for apartments, as well as what they construct 

 with the materials thence derived. They appear, in 

 short, to be no less skiltlil in mining than in building. 



Such is the general outline of the operations of 



* M. P. liuber on Ants, p. 31. 



