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It is a common custom to build boarded floors high away from' 

 the ground to prevent (so says the builders) the attack of " wood ants." 



Now it is clear that the timbers of a floor, near to the ground 

 and insufficiently ventilated must be an ideal situation for the develop- 

 ment of fungi known to be wood destroyers ; and it is equally certain 

 that nothing can prevent the spread of these organisms in such situa- 

 tions but careful ventilation, and the builder to prevent the attack of 

 the ant, must first of all prevent the attack of the fungus by insisting 

 upon conditions which will ensure perfect ventilation and dryness, 

 which are well known to be antagonistic to the growth of fungi. 



Fungus may exist in the wood of buildings when it is to all 

 outward appearance sound ; and sometimes its presence can only be 

 detected by taking microscopical sections and submitting them to 

 examination under a high power. 



It is not to be wondered at therefore that the ordinary carpenter 

 and builder should blame the Termit, instead of blaming his primary 

 and more insidious enemy the fungus ; an enemy which loses no time 

 in taking possession of his timbers whenever they are subjected to a 

 set of conditions of the character previously mentioned. 



In a tropical country the habits of Termits may be well studied, 

 and if carefvil notice is taken in the forests of the country it may be 

 easily seen that they do not attach sound wood, but only that which 

 has first been permeated by the mycelium of some fungus, which has 

 probably found entrance to its tissues at some point of injury, or has 

 been able to inflict itself upon its host owing to a loss of vitality aris- 

 ing from some special surrounding condition, or from the want of a 

 proper and continued supplied of plant food. 



If observers who hold the opinion that " Termites" destroy sound 

 wood, will have the subject of attack specially examined they will, it 

 is believed, find sufficient evidence to prove, that the supposed sound 

 Timber is in reality permeated by the mycelium of a fungus, and thus 

 rendered liable to the attack of insects. 



It has been observed that the characters shown by the mycelium 

 attacking different woods afford considerable variation, and this 

 leads to the inference that there are numerous species of fungi 

 engaged in such work. The determination of these is however a 

 matter for a Specialist ; and can only be properly performed when 

 all the stages of each fungus, are fully known. 



That it is really a fungus, which attacks the wood our experi- 

 ments prove conclusively, and that " Termites" follow the attack of 



