74 2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



pounds weight of subsoil must be brought up for the mining of even 

 a single tree. The building material is conveyed by the insects up a 

 central pipe with which all the galleries communicate, and which at 

 the downward end connects with a series of subterranean passages 

 leading deep into the earth. The method of building the tunnels and 

 covered ways is as follows : At the foot of a tree the tiniest hole cau- 

 tiously opens in the ground close to the bark. A small head appears 

 with a grain of earth clasped in its jaws. Against the tree trunk this 

 earth-gram is deposited, and the head is withdrawn. Presently it re- 

 appears with another grain of earth, this is laid beside the first, rammed 

 tight against it, and again the builder descends underground for more. 

 The third grain is not placed against the tree, but against the former 

 grain ; a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth follow, and the plan of the founda- 

 tion begins to suggest itself as soon as these are in position. The 

 stones or grains, or pellets of earth, are arranged in a semicircular wall, 

 the termite, now assisted by three or four others, standing in the mid- 

 dle between the sheltering wall and the tree and working briskly with 

 head and mandible to strengthen the position. The wall in fact forms 

 a small moon-rampart, and as it grows higher and higher it soon be- 

 comes evident that it is going to grow from a low battlement into a 

 long perpendicular tunnel running up the side of the tree. The work- 

 ers, safely ensconced inside, are now carrying up the structure with 

 great rapidity, disappearing in turn as soon as they have laid their 

 stone and rushing off to bring up another. The way in which the 

 building is done is extremely curious, and one could watch the move- 

 ments of these wonderful little masons by the hour. Each stone as it 

 is brought to the top is first of all covered with mortar. Of course, 

 without this the whole tunnel would crumble into dust before reaching 

 the height of half an inch ; but the termite pours over the stone a 

 moist, sticky secretion, turning the grain round and round with its 

 mandibles until the whole is covered with slime. Then it places the 

 stone with great care upon the top of the wall, works it about vigor- 

 ously for a moment or two till it is well jammed into its place, and 

 then starts off instantly for another load. 



Peering over the growing wall one soon discovers one, two, or more 

 termites of a somewhat larger build, considerably longer, and with a 

 very different arrangement of the parts of the head and 

 especially of the mandibles (Fig. 2). These important- 

 looking individuals saunter about the rampart in the 

 most leisurely way, but yet with a certain air of busi- 

 ness as if perhaps the one was the master of the works 

 and the other the architect, but close observation sug- 

 Fio. 2.-SoLT5iEB costs that they are in no wise superintending oper- 



WhiteAnt. . . . ,. . , ! ,. .^ .v 



ations, nor in any immediate way contributing to tne 

 structure, for they take not the slightest notice either of the workers 

 or the works. They are posted there, in fact, as sentries, and there 



