HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Mr. Fleurot was accordingly solicited by the Horti- 

 cultural Society to analyze the substances, and he 

 proved the presence, in remarkable proportions, and 

 in rather considerable quantities, of formic acid in 

 combination with iron in the head and mandibles 

 of the insect. He accordingly attributed the seda- 



\ 'y<7 

 Fig. 10, Winged female. 



tive effects of the nest to the combination of the 

 iron and the formic acid in its composition, which 

 produces a formate of iron ; and as he could not 

 trace the presence of any soluble salts or common 

 salt in the substance under analysis, he argued that 

 the nature of the insect must be antipathetical to 

 salt. In proof of the correctness of this opinion, 

 lie has since ascertained that in damp cellars, where 

 white ants once caused great destruction amongst 

 casks of beer and, wine, they were entirely driven 

 away by strewing a layer of common salt under the 

 barrels. He also placed some white ants in a space, 

 and surrounded them with a circle of salt, which 

 the insects did not dare to cross. 



"These facts were originally published in a Port 

 Louis newspaper, and are reprinted in a book by 

 Mr. C. J. Boyle, just published. If this theory holds 

 good in India, buildings in which chunam (lime) 

 made with sea-water [this evidently applies to 

 Bombay, where fresh water is scarce— C. H.] has 

 been surreptitiously employed, should be tolerably 

 free from this pest, and a ready means is afforded 

 to planters and others to protect themselves per- 

 manently against the invasions of their uncompro- 

 mising and insatiable enemy." 



With reference to the above, I may remark that 

 I have tried salt with the happiest results. Quick. 

 lime in little tin or iron trays is, however, more 

 commonly used, and the feet of large racks in record- 

 rooms are often placed in these. 



Before quitting the subject I will gossip a little 

 about it. 



The first heavy fall of rain (in the North- Western 

 Provinces about the close of June) brings out the 

 swarms of winged Termites. At dusk it often 

 happens that they begin to emerge from some little 

 hole in the corner of the room— on the floor— half 

 way in the wall, or from outside. In half an hour 

 I he whole air is alive with them. If in the daytime, 

 every bird is eating them as they fly out; the 



" Gekkho," or little house lizard on the wall, de- 

 vours as many as he can, till at last he ceases with 

 the tips of the wings and the legs of one sticking 

 out of his mouth. The crows sail backwards and 

 forwards catching hundreds ; the King-crow {Dicru- 

 rus) dashes amongst them and eats as many as he 

 will, and all who will— eat. 



Meanwhile the numbers increase. Basins full of 

 water, with a candle in the midst, are put down, and 

 thousands flying to the light are thus drowned. 

 Every device is adopted for destroyin?, yet some 

 survive, bite off their own wings, and run along the 

 ground, looking out for a place of shelter. One 

 meets another, who, immediately holding on to his 

 abdomen, follows him ; and thus one often sees three 

 or four in one chain holding fast and following. 

 But what is of more importance for maintaining 

 the race, a male meets a female, and the two go off 

 together, and getting under a safe clod, or into some 

 corner or hole, start a colony. 



Regarding the falling off of their wings, I found 

 it most difficult to obtain winged specimens. I 

 offered a reward to my collectors, and I sat ready 

 with setting-board and pins, and then with difficulty 

 I obtained three or four. They appear to fall off 

 directly they are dry, and if they do not speedily 

 come off of themselves, the insects assist nature and 

 pull them off. 



It is a very strange thing to see a nice white 

 table-cloth, in the centre of which has stood the 

 dinner lamp, covered all over with their wings ; 

 with wingless insects taking shelter under knives, 

 spoons, or any little bit of cover. 



Once immured, they never again see the light ; 

 although how they subsist until they have faithful 

 attendants to feed them, is one of Nature's puzzles 

 which I am quite unable to solve. One thing strikes 

 me as very curious, viz., the manner in which the 

 earth used passes through the body of the worker 

 White Ant. The insect is so transparent that it is 

 easily to be seen. 



The assimilation of their food is also extremely 

 strange, as they derive nutriment from wood ever 

 so dry, and from grass, and other substances, which 

 would not appear to be capable of yielding any 

 nourishment. Although blind, these insects evince 

 great ingenuity in getting at their food. 1 have 

 often seeu them making a covered way over a 

 thickly-painted door, and on reaching the bottom 

 commence the projection of a circular gallery of 

 several inches in length at an angle, until they 

 reached some suitable food. On one such occasion, 

 however, after all their labour, they arrived at a 

 terraced floor in which they could make no impres- 

 sion. They then abandoned their gallery, and tried 

 in another direction. 



I have watched the warriors visiting the working 

 parties, and retiring when they found that all was 

 well. The more one observes these marvellous 



