THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 179 



bore of a large cannon, and which extend as much as three 

 or four feet into the ground. 



The monuments of which we are proud are insignificant 

 structures compared to those built by these fragile insects. 

 The nests of the Termites are often 500 times as high as 

 the length of their bodies, and it has therefore been cal- 

 culated that if we gave our houses a proportional height, 

 they would be four or five times as high as the pyramids of 

 Egypt. 



Other Termites, instead of constructing these astonishing 

 abodes, occupy themselves mischievously in attacking ours, 

 and invade them sometimes from the roof to the founda- 

 tion ; everything then goes to ruin, house and furniture 

 alike. These insidious depredators make their way silently 

 underground, and tunnel long galleries, by means of which 

 they all at once invade our dwellings. Then they pene- 

 trate into all the timber-work, and totally destroy the in- 

 terior of it, only leaving a surface as thin as a wafer. Noth- 

 ing reveals their hidden havoc to the eye ; we see our 

 house, we believe in its real existence, while we possess 

 only a phantom of it, a house of cards, which falls at the 

 first shock. Smeathman, who has left us such an interest- 

 ing history of these Neuroptera, relates that they some- 

 times destroy large towns, which have been deserted by 

 their inhabitants. 



Mrs. Lee told me that in the districts of Africa where 

 she lived the Termites take but a very short time to devour 

 an entire dwelling. A staircase of very fair size is eaten in 

 a fortnight ; tables, arm-chairs, and chairs, in much less. 

 This celebrated traveller assured me that often at Sierra 



