WOOD-ANTS, 275 



mining the under portion of their edifice, that they 

 form their spacious halls, low indeed, and of heavy 

 construction, yet sufficiently convenient for the use to 

 which they are appropriated, that of receiving, at cer- 

 tain hours of the day, the larvae and pupae. 



" These halls have a free communication by gal- 

 leries, made in the same manner. If the materials 

 of which the ant-hill is composed were only inter- 

 laced, they would fall into a confused heap every 

 time the ants attempted to bring them into regular 

 order. This, however, is obviated by their tempering 

 the earth with rain-water, which, afterwards hardened 

 in the sun, so completely and effectually binds to- 

 gether the several substances, as to permit the re- 

 moval of certain fragments from the ant-hill without 

 any injury to the rest; it, moreover, strongly opposes 

 the introduction of the rain. I never found, even 

 after long and violent rains, the interior of the nest 

 wetted to more than a quarter of an inch from the 

 surface, provided it had not been previously out of 

 repair, or deserted by its inhabitants. 



" The ants are extremely well sheltered in their 

 chambers, the largest of which is placed nearly in 

 the centre of the building; it is much loftier than 

 the rest, and traversed only by the beams that sup- 

 port the ceiling; it is in this spot that all the gal- 

 leries terminate, and this forms, for the most part, 

 their usual residence. 



"As to the underground portion, it can only be 

 seen when the ant-hill is placed against a declivity; 

 all the interior may be then readily brought in view, 

 by simply raising up the straw-roof The subter- 

 ranean residence consists of a range of apartments, 

 excavated in the earth, taking an horizontal direc- 

 tion."* 



* iluber on Ants, p. 15. 



