TINY BUILDERS 
25 
machines get into operation! Each little work¬ 
man simply took up a bit of the moist clay and 
moulded it into a sticky little ball or ‘ pellet’ by 
chewing it. As fast as each brick was finished, 
the workman set it on end to dry in the sun. Be¬ 
ing so tiny the bricks seemed to harden in no 
time, and a small army of workmen were soon 
busy carrying them to their ant-hill. But what I 
couldn’t make out was, what use the little crea¬ 
tures had for the bricks? ” 
“ They are used for the walls and partitions 
and even the roof of their underground apart¬ 
ments,” returned Uncle John. “ You know the 
real home of the ants is not in the hill itself, but 
in little tunnels and chambers beneath it. The 
entrance is a curious tunnel shaped like a funnel. 
We will go out there after a while and pry into 
matters with the glass. If the work has not 
progressed too far, I am sure we shall be able to 
see the little fellows laboring with the utmost care 
and precision to shape things just right. Damp 
clay, mixed with saliva, furnishes the mortar, and 
this is brought up by the most punctual of hod 
carriers. Instead of the trowel and mortar board 
which human bricklayers use, the little ant work¬ 
man has its strong jaws, its arms or feelers, and 
its legs. But these ‘ tools ’ are quite equal to the 
task, and the bricklayers follow fast on the heels 
of the excavators. 
