2 88 Mr. smeathman’s Account of 
Some of thefe little unhappy creatures would ramble from 
the chamber, as if to explore the caufe of fuch a horrid ruin 
and cataftrophe to their immenfe building, as it mu ft appear to 
them ; arid, after fruitlefs endeavours to get over the fide 
of the bowl, return and mix with the croud that continue 
running round their common parents to the laft (tab. VIII. fig. 
4. b.). Others, placing themfelves along her fide, get hold of 
the queen’s vaft matrix with their jaws, and pull with all their 
ftrength fo as vifibly to lift up the part which they fix at ; but, 
as I never faw any effedt from thefe attempts, I never could 
determine whether this pulling was with an intention to remove 
her body, or to ftimulate her to move herfelf, or for any other 
purpofe ; but, after many ineffectual tugs, they would defift 
and join in the croud running round, or affift fome of thofe 
who are cutting off clay from the external parts of the cham- 
ber or fome of the fragments and moiftening it with the 
juices of their bodies, to begin to work a thin arched fhell 
over the body of the queen, as if to exclude the air, or to hide 
her from the obfervation of fome enemy. Thefe, if not in- 
terrupted, before the next morning, completely cover her, 
leaving room enough within for great numbers to run about her. 
I do not mention the king in this cafe, becaufe he is very fmall 
in proportion to the queen, not being bigger than thirty of the 
labourers, fo that he generally conceals himfelf under one fide 
of the abdomen, except when he goes up. to the queen’s head, 
which he does now and then, but not fo frequently as the reft- 
If in your attack on the hill you ftop fhort of the royal cham- 
ber, and cut down about half of the building, and leave open 
fome thoufands of galleries and chambers, they will all be fhut 
up with thin fheets of clay before the next morning. If even 
the whole is pulled down, and the different buildings are thrown 
a m 
