76 



JUNGLE ISLAND 



termites fly into their faces and hair and fall into 

 their food. If the Panamanians have been spend- 

 ing the dry season in the country, they know it 



After Leidy 



Fig. 34. The termites' wood-digesters 



is time to move to town where they will not be 

 bothered so much. 



After a flight of a few hours the termites bite 

 off their own wings and are then ready to settle 

 down. Two of them mate, build a nest, and 

 start a new colony with themselves as king and 

 queen. 



The building habits of termites are interesting, 

 but what they eat is much more important to 

 us. These tiny animals live on wood, which the 



