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It is moil curious to fee their manner of work- 
ing. As this performance is moft externally, I have 
an opportunity of feeing every minute circumftance 
of this operation, which is carried on with as much 
pains and application, as (but I think I may fay with 
more fkill and contrivance than) the honey-bees, 
who are beholden to a hive or hollow tree, &c. to 
fabricate their combs in ; whereas thefe little animals 
are the foie builders of the outward walls, as well 
as the interior parts of their dwellings. They range 
about for the materials, but with all my endea- 
vours I could never oblerve, from whence they were 
collected; only this I know, that they bring a little 
lump of dark- colour’d pafte between their fore-legs, 
about the f ze of a radifh-feed. This they carry firft 
to the infide of the covering, which they are about 
to finifh, and fay near half a minute, I fuppofe to 
work fome of it on that fide : then they return with 
the greateft part, to enlarge it on the outfide, which 
they execute in a mofl dextrous manner (as I have 
many times feen) by taking the pafte from between 
their legs with their mouths (which open crofs ways 
to their body) and fixing it on the edge of the cover- 
ing, working backwards, for about an inch at a 
time in length, and then fpread and fmooth it with 
their horns. This is all performed in about two mi- 
nutes, and they are feldom more than five days in 
finifhing a whole cover. By the niceft obfervation I 
could make, their number is between 20 and 30. 
They feem no- ways hurtful ; and are fo intent on 
their bufinefs, that if 3 or 4 people at a time are 
looking within fo many inches of their neft, they 
neither attack them, nor forbear to carry on the 
A a public 
