MASON-ANTS. 271 



to see whether they would hring the nearly vertical, 

 and therefore insecure, portion to a level by masonry. 

 We were delighted to perceive that they immediately 

 resolved upon performing the task which had been 

 assigned them, though they did not proceed very 

 methodically in their manner of building ; for instead 

 of beginning at the bottom and building upwards, 

 many of them went on to add to the top of the outer 

 surface, which increased rather than diminished the 

 security of the whole. Withal, however, they seemed 

 to know how far to go, for no portion of the newly 

 built wall fell ; and in two days they had not only 

 reared a pyramidal mound to prop the rest, but had 

 constructed several galleries and chambers for lodging 

 the cocoons, which we had scattered at random 

 amongst the sand. The new portion of this building 

 is represented in the figure as supporting the upper 

 and insecure parts of the nest. 



We are sorry to record that our ingenious little 

 masons were found upon the third day strewed about 

 the outside of the building, dead or dying, either from 

 over fatigue or perhaps from surfeit, as we had sup- 

 plied them with as much honey as they could devour. 

 A small colony of turf-ants have at this moment 

 (July 28th, 1829) taken possession of the premises of 

 their own accord.* 



* J. R. 



