. Insect architecture. Insects. WHITE ANTS. 295 of one of these hillocks, to watch for a vessel in sight. The outward shell, or dome, is not only of use to protect and support the interior buildings from external violence and the heavy rains, but to collect and preserve a regular degree of the warmth and moisture necessary for hatching the eggs and che- rishing the young. The royal chamber, 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. It is always near
. Insect architecture. Insects. WHITE ANTS. 295 of one of these hillocks, to watch for a vessel in sight. The outward shell, or dome, is not only of use to protect and support the interior buildings from external violence and the heavy rains, but to collect and preserve a regular degree of the warmth and moisture necessary for hatching the eggs and che- rishing the young. The royal chamber, 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. It is always nearly in the shape of half an egg, or an obtuse oval, within, and may be supposed to represent a long oven. In the of the colony, it is but about an inch in length ; but in time will be increased to six or eight inches, or more, in the clear, being always in proportion to the size of the queen, who, increasing in bulk as in age, at length requires a chamber of such Queen distended with eggs. Its floor is perfectly horizontal, and, in large hillocks, sometimes more than an inch thick of solid clay. The roof, also, which is one solid and well- turned oval arch, is generally of about the same solidity, but in some places it is not a quarter of an inch thick, on the sides where it joins the floor, and where the doors or entrances are made level with it, at nearly equal distances from each other. These entrances will not admit any animal larger than the soldiers or labourers; so that the king and the queen. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Rennie, James, 1787-1867. London, M. A. Nattali
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1846
