76 ANTS AND ANT LIFE. 



of one of those central spaces, which were spoken of above, 

 whereon many passages opened. These spaces were the 

 longest ; but although they sometimes had a width of two 

 and more inches, the ants had no difficulty in roofing them 

 in. They began the work in the corners wherein the walls 

 met, as well as along the upper edges of the latter ; from the 

 top of each pillar, as from so many centres, bow-like arched 

 layers of earth were built horizontally, so as to join those 

 which sprang from the other sides of the large open space to 

 meet them. The number of little wall-builders coming 

 from all sides with their bit of mortar in their mouths, the 

 regularity they observed, the unanimity with which they 

 worked, the skill with which they took advantage of a shower 

 of rain so as to enlarge their dwelling all this offered a 

 most interesting spectacle to a lover of nature. 



" I have sometimes feared lest their building should be 

 unable to support its own weight and a heavy shower of 

 rain. But I was reassured when I noticed how firmly the 

 different parts were fitted together, and that the rain could 

 only fasten them together more permanently. Only a very 

 heavy rain occasionally breaks down badly built rooms, but 

 they are very quickly repaired. 



" A complete story is often built in from seven to eighthours, 

 and the several ceilings all form at last a common platform. 

 As soon as such a story is finished, they generally begin to 

 build another on its surface, particularly when the weather 

 is favorable. A dry wind stops the work. I noticed how a 

 strong north wind quickly dried the new buildings, and made 

 them fall to pieces. When the ants are convinced that their 

 work is useless, they do not cease building, but destroy all 

 unfinished rooms and walls, and spread out the debris on the 

 surface of the top story." 



Forel confirms all these observations, adding the remark 

 that it is rare to find a completely uninjured nest standing 

 alone, so as to be able to recognise all these arrangements. 

 According to him also, the nests of F. fusca show great 

 irregularity, because each ant works independently of the 

 others. Every sort of material earth, grass-stalks, snail- 

 shells, leaves, roots and any outside support suits them to 

 build with or upon. On the great dome of the nest many 

 smaller domes or towers may 'often be observed, which 

 however generally disappear in the autumn. 



