294 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



the vicissitudes of the weather, and the inhabitants 

 from the attacks of natural or accidental enemies. It 

 is always, therefore, much stronger than the interior 

 building, which is the habitable part, divided with a 

 wonderful kind of regularity and contrivance, into an 

 amazing number of apartments for the residence of 

 the king and queen, and the nursing of the numerous 

 progeny ; or for magazines, which are always found 

 well filled with stores and provisions. The hills 

 make their first appearance above ground by a little 

 turret or two, in the shape of sugar-loaves, which are 

 run a foot high or more. Soon after, at some little 

 distance, while the former are increasing in height 

 and size, they raise others, and so go on increasing 

 their number, and widening them at the base, till 

 their works below are covered with these turrets, of 

 which they always raise the highest and largest in 

 the middle, and, by filling up the intervals between 

 each turret, collect them into one dome. They are 

 not very curious or exact in the workmanship, except 

 in making them very solid and strong ; and when, 

 by their joining them, the dome is completed, for 

 which purpose the turrets answer as scaffolds, they 

 take away the middle ones entirely, except the tops, 

 which, joined together, make the crown of the cupola, 

 and apply the clay to the building of the works 

 within, or to erecting fresh turrets for the purpose of 

 raising the hillock still higher; so that some part of 

 the clay is probably used several times, like the 

 boards and posts of a mason's scaffolds. 



When these hills are little more than half their 

 height, it is a common practice of the wild bulls to 

 stand as sentinels on them, while the rest of the herd 

 are ruminating below. They are sufficiently strong 

 far that purpose ; and at their full height, answer 

 excellently well as places of look-out; and Mr. 

 Smeathman has been, with four more, on the top 



