WHITE ANTS. 
483 
creasing in height and size, they raise others, and 
so go on increasing the number and widening them 
at the base, till their works below are covered with 
these turrets, which they always raise the highest 
and largest in the middle, and, by filling up the in- 
tervals between each turret, collect them as it were 
into one dome. They are not very curious or ex- 
act about these turrets, except in making them very 
solid and strong ; and when by the junction of them 
the dome is completed, for which purpose the tur- 
rets answer as scaffolds, they take away the middle 
ones entirely, except the tops, (which joined to- 
gether 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 no doubt some part of the 
clay is used several times, like the boards and posts 
of a mason’s scaffold. The outward shell, or dome, 
is not only of use to protect and support the inte- 
rior buildings from external violence and the heavy 
rains, but to collect and preserve a regular degree of 
genial warmth and moisture, which seems very ne- 
cessary for hatching the eggs and cherishing the 
young ones. 
u The royal chamber , which I call so on account 
of its being adapted for, and occupied by, the king 
and queen, appears to be, in the opinion of this 
little people, of the most consequence, being always 
situated as near the centre of the interior building 
as possible, and generally about the height of the 
common surface of the ground, at a pace or two 
2 i 2 
