. Insect architecture. Insects. CARPENTER-ANTS. 281. Portion of a tree, with chambers find galleries chiselled out by Jet-Ants. numerous partitions are still found. If the work be less regular, it becomes more delicate; for the ants, profiting by the hardness and solidity of the mate- rials, give to their building an extreme degree of lightness. I have seen fragments of from eight to ten inches in length, and of equal height, formed of wood as thin as paper, containing a number of apart- ments, and presenting a most singular appearance. At the entrance of these apartments, worked out with so m
. Insect architecture. Insects. CARPENTER-ANTS. 281. Portion of a tree, with chambers find galleries chiselled out by Jet-Ants. numerous partitions are still found. If the work be less regular, it becomes more delicate; for the ants, profiting by the hardness and solidity of the mate- rials, give to their building an extreme degree of lightness. I have seen fragments of from eight to ten inches in length, and of equal height, formed of wood as thin as paper, containing a number of apart- ments, and presenting a most singular appearance. At the entrance of these apartments, worked out with so much care, are very considerable openings ; but in place of chambers and extensive galleries, the layers of the wood are hewn in arcades, allowing the ants a free passage in every direction. These may be regarded as the gates or vestibules conducting to the several ;* It is a singular circumstance in the structures of these ants, that all the wood which they carve is tinged of a black colour, as if it were smoked ; and M. Huber was not a little solicitous to discover whence this arose. It certainly does not add to the beauty * Hubert p. 56. u :i. 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
