common window fly, and the upper wings 

 being very long and large. At this time of 

 the year, the males and females emigrate in 

 vast numbers, sometimes flying at a consi- 

 derable height, and sometimes creeping along 

 the surface. It is not uncommon to see 

 them enter houses at this period, attracted 

 by sweets in particular, either moist or dry. 

 During the winter, this species, like the rest 

 of the European ants, remains in a state of 

 stupor, without laying up provisions for that 

 season, as erroneously supposed ; and, during 

 the Spring, emerges from its concealment, 

 and recommences its labors. — {Shaw's Zoo- 

 logy, vol. vi., part 2, p. 352). 



The different species of ants, like the 

 nations of our own species, are distinguished 

 from each other by great diversities of 

 manners. This is strikingly shown in the 

 variety of modes in which they construct 

 their habitations. Some employ merely 

 earth as the material ; some collect, for the 

 same purpose, fragments of leaves, of bark, 

 or of straw ; others use nothing but finely 

 pulverised portions of decayed wood. The 

 solid substance of trees is excavated by 

 another species into numerous apartments, 

 having regular communications with one 

 another. Various other modifications may 

 be observed in the architecture of the dif- 

 ferent species. The most perfect specimens 

 of workmanship are generally exhibited by 

 the smaller ants. 



The brown ant is particularly remarkable 

 among the masonic tribes. Their nests are 

 formed of parallel or concentric storeys, each 

 four or five lines in height ; the partitions 

 being about half a line in thickness, and 

 built of such fine materials that the interior 

 appears perfectly smooth. On examining 

 each of these storeys, we discover chambers 

 of different sizes, having long galleries of 

 communication. The ceilings of the larger 

 spaces are supported by small pillars, some- 

 times by slender walls, and in other cases 

 by arches. Some cells have but a single 

 entrance ; others have passages, which open 

 from the storey underneath. In other parts, 

 still larger central spaces, or halls, are met 

 with, in which a great number of passages 

 terminate, like the streets and avenues to a 

 market-place. The whole nest often contains 

 twenty of these storeys, above the level of 

 the ground, and at least as many below it. 

 The use of this numerous series of rooms 

 will appear in the sequel. The surface of 

 the nest is covered with a thicker wall, and 

 several doors, admitting, in the daytime, 

 free ing ess and egress. 



This species of ant is unable to bear much 

 heat. During the clay, therefore, and parti- 

 cularly when the sun shines, their doors are 

 closed: and they either keep at home, or 

 venture out only through the subterranean 



passages. When the dew has given freshness 

 to the nest, and softened the earthy mate- 

 rials on its surface, they begin to make their 

 appearance above ground. On the first 

 shower of rain that occurs, the whole swarm 

 are apprised of it, and immediately resume 

 their architectural labors. While some are 

 engaged in removing the earth below, others 

 are employed in building an additional storey 

 on the top ; the masons making use of the 

 materials furnished by the miners. The plan 

 of the cells and partitions is first traced in 

 relief on the walls, which are seen gradually 

 to arise, leaving empty spaces between 

 them. The beginnings of pillars indicate the 

 situation of the future halls ; and the rising 

 partitions show the form of the intended 

 passages. Upon the plan thus traced, they 

 continue building, until they have arrived at 

 a sufficient elevation. Masses of moistened 

 earth are then applied at right angles to the 

 tops of the walls, on each side, and conti- 

 nued in a horizontal direction till they meet 

 in the middle. 



The ceilings of the larger chambers are 

 completed in the same manner ; the workers 

 beginning from the angles of the walls, and 

 from the tops of the pillars which have been 

 raised in the centre. The largest of these 

 chambers, which might be compared to the 

 town hall, and is frequently more than two 

 inches in diameter, is completed with appa- 

 rently as much ease as the rest. This busy 

 crowd of masons, arriving in every direction 

 laden with materials for the building, has- 

 tening to avail themselves of the rain to 

 carry on their work, and yet observing the 

 most perfect order in their operations, 

 present the most interesting and amusing 

 spectacle. They raise a single storey in 

 about seven or eight hours, forming a general 

 roof as a covering to the whole ; and they 

 go on, adding other storeys, so long as the 

 rain affords them the facility of moulding 

 the materials. When the rain ceases, and is 

 succeeded by a drying wind, before they 

 have completed their work — the earth ceasing 

 to adhere together, and crumbling into 

 powder, frustrates all their labor. As soon 

 as they find this to be the case, they, with 

 one accord, set about destroying the cells 

 which they had begun, but had not been 

 able to cover in, and distribute the mate- 

 rials over the upper storey of what they had 

 completed. 



In tracing the design of the cells and 

 galleries, each ant appears to follow its own 

 fancy. A want of accordance must there- 

 fore frequently take place at the point where 

 their works join; but they never appear to 

 be embarrassed by any difficulties of this 

 kind. An instance is related, by M. Huber, 

 in which two opposite walls were made of 

 such different elevations, that the ceiling of 



