A section was cut down through it, and the
winter home of the tribe destroyed--probably the work of weeks, perhaps
months. The interior of the wood was completely riddled by tunnels and
passages, some being large and holding several hundred ants, while
others contained only a few. In some of the interior passages the ants
had not been affected by the heat, and were packed in great masses and
evidently fast asleep; they soon recovered, however, and walked off
slowly in different directions, as if wondering if an earthquake or
spring had come.
A great number of insects go through a period of hibernation, especially
spiders. The young of the latter are often covered by the parent; first,
by coarse strings of silk, as if to hold them in place, and then by
a white, silvery web worked over them, which forms probably a sure
protection from wind and weather.
The writer has a cherry-stone in which is coiled up an insect, best
known as the sowbug. A squirrel had probably eaten out the meat and
opened the way, and in this snug retreat we found the little hibernater
snugly rolled up, as is also its habit when alarmed. The mouth of the
hole was stopped by black soil, but whether from accident or by the
animal itself we could not tell.
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