admire. I rather incline to the beaver however, because of the winter
store of food which he lays up."

"There is another animal which displays the building instinct so
remarkably, that I must tell you something about it before we part."

"Which is it, Uncle Thomas?"

"It is the white ant of Africa; it is a little animal, scarcely, if at
all, exceeding in size those of our own country, yet they construct
large nests of a conical or sugar loaf shape, sometimes from ten to
twelve feet in height; and one species builds them so strong and
compact, that even when they are raised to little more than half their
height, the wild-bulls of the country use them as sentinel posts to
watch over the safety of the herd which grazes below.

"Mr. Smeathman, a naturalist fully capable to do justice to the nature
of these erections, states, that on one occasion he and four men stood
on the top of one of them. So you may guess how strong they are."

"Of what are they made, Uncle Thomas? They must be very curious
structures. How very different from the ant hills of England!"

"Very different, indeed, John. They are made of clay and sand, and as in
such a luxuriant climate they soon become coated over with grass, they
quickly assume the appearance of hay-cocks. They are indeed very
remarkable structures, whether we consider them externally or
internally, and are said to excel those of the beaver and the bee in the
same proportion as the inhabitants of the most polished European nation
excel the huts of the rude inhabitants of the country where the