1770 ANTS’ NESTS 305 
ground. The first sort were generally three or four times 
as large as a man’s head; they were built of a brittle 
substance, seemingly made of small parts of vegetables 
kneaded together with some glutinous matter, probably 
afforded by themselves. On breaking this outer crust in- 
numerable cells appeared, full of inhabitants, winding in all 
directions, communicating with each other, as well as with 
divers doors which led from the nest. From each of these 
an arched passage led to different parts of the tree, and 
generally one large one to the ground. This I am inclined 
to believe communicated with the other kind of house, for 
as the animals inhabiting both were precisely the same, I 
see no reason why they should be supposed, contrary to 
every instance that I know in nature, to build two different 
kinds of houses, unless, according to the season, prey, etc., 
they inhabited both equally. 
This second kind of house was very often built near the 
foot of a tree, on the bark of which their covered ways, 
though but seldom the first kind of house, were always to 
be found. It was formed like an irregularly sided cone, and 
was sometimes more than six feet high, and nearly as much 
in diameter. The smaller ones were generally flat-sided, 
and resembled very much the old stones which are seen in 
many parts of England, and supposed to be remains of 
Druidical worship. The outer coat of these was 2 inches 
thick at least, of hard, well-tempered clay, under which were 
their cells; to these no doors were to be seen. All their 
passages were underground, where probably they were 
carried on till they met the root of some tree, up which they 
ascended, and so up the trunks and branches by the covered 
way before mentioned. These I should suppose to be the 
houses to which they retire in the winter season, as they are 
undoubtedly able to defend them from any rain that can 
fall, while the others, though generally built under the 
shelter of some overhanging branch, must, from the thinness 
of the covering, be but a slight defence against a heavy rain. 
Thus much for the ants, an industrious race which in all 
countries have for that reason been admired by man, though 
x 
