OFNATURALHISTORY. ^6s 



Each of thefe hills is compofed of an exterior and an Interior part. 

 The exterior cover is a large clay- (hell, which is ihaped like a dome. 

 Its ftrength and magnitude are fufficient to inclofe and protedt the 

 interior building from the injuries of the weather, and to defend its 

 numerous inhabitants from the attacks of natural or accidental ene- 

 mies. The external dome or cover is, therefore, always much 

 ftronger than the internal building, .which is the habitation of the 

 infeds, and is divided with wonderful artifice and regularity into a 

 raft number of apartments for the refulence and accommodation of 

 the king and queen, for the nurfing of their progeny, and for ma- 

 gazines, which are always well ftored with provifions. 



Thefe hills make their firft appearance in the form of conical 

 turrets about a foot high. In a ftiort time, the infeds eredt, at a 

 little diftance, other turrets, and go on increafing their number and 

 widening their bafes, till their underworks are covered with thefe 

 turrets, which the animals always raile higheft in the middle of the 

 hill, and, by filling up the intervals between each turret, coUefl: them, 

 at laft, into one great dome. 



* The royal chamber,'' Mr Smeathman remarks, * which is occu- 

 pied by the king and queen, appears to be, in the opinion of this 

 little people, of the moft confequence, and is always fituated as 

 near the centre of the interior building as poffible, and generally 

 about the height of the common furface of the ground. It is al- 

 ways nearly in the fliape of half an egg, or an obtufe oval, within,, 

 and may be fuppofed to reprefent a long oven. In the infant ftate 

 of the colony, it is not above an inch, or thereabout, in length; 

 but in time will be increafed to fix or eight inches, or more, in the 

 clear, being always in proportion to the fize of the queen, who,, 

 increafing in bulk as in age, at length requires a chamber of fuch 

 diraenfionsj 



The 



