Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/363

1770 ground. The first sort were generally three or four times as large as a man's head; they were built of a brittle substance, seemingly made of small parts of vegetables kneaded together with some glutinous matter, probably afforded by themselves. On breaking this outer crust innumerable cells appeared, full of inhabitants, winding in all directions, communicating with each other, as well as with divers doors which led from the nest. From each of these an arched passage led to different parts of the tree, and generally one large one to the ground. This I am inclined to believe communicated with the other kind of house, for as the animals inhabiting both were precisely the same, I see no reason why they should be supposed, contrary to every instance that I know in nature, to build two different kinds of houses, unless, according to the season, prey, etc., they inhabited both equally.

This second kind of house was very often built near the foot of a tree, on the bark of which their covered ways, though but seldom the first kind of house, were always to be found. It was formed like an irregularly sided cone, and was sometimes more than six feet high, and nearly as much in diameter. The smaller ones were generally flat-sided, and resembled very much the old stones which are seen in many parts of England, and supposed to be remains of Druidical worship. The outer coat of these was 2 inches thick at least, of hard, well-tempered clay, under which were their cells; to these no doors were to be seen. All their passages were underground, where probably they were carried on till they met the root of some tree, up which they ascended, and so up the trunks and branches by the covered way before mentioned. These I should suppose to be the houses to which they retire in the winter season, as they are undoubtedly able to defend them from any rain that can fall, while the others, though generally built under the shelter of some overhanging branch, must, from the thinness of the covering, be but a slight defence against a heavy rain.

Thus much for the ants, an industrious race which in all countries have for that reason been admired by man, though