46 nURMA, ITS rEOPLE AXD PRODUCTIOXS. 



Order XEUROPTERA. 



This is a somcwliat hcteroficiiooiis order, embraeing insects, displavinp: exceptions 

 to all its leading characters, wliicli may be snmmed up tlius. Wings four, more or 

 less equal, membranous, reticulate, and rarely folded. Jaws niandibulate. I'upa 

 incomplete. Larva with six ai'ticulated legs. 



Sub-order ISOPTERA. 

 AntennoB short, many-jointed. "Wings large, equal, deciduous. 



Family Termitidse. 



Termites or ' xcldte ants'' are social Neuroptera, -and are undoubtedly the greatest 

 pests of any insects within the tropics. They are subterranean and noetui-nal in 

 their habits, and their industiy is matchless. They present points of resemblance 

 and dissimilarity to Bees, swarming liUe them and having the majority of the 

 community made up of neuters, or sexually imperfect females, but dilfering from 

 them in the (asserted) presence of more than one queen in the community. The 

 males and females are fully winged — and they alone issue in dense swarms from 

 the nest to found new colonies. This swarming takes places in humid weather, 

 generally, but not always, towards evening, and the perfect insects at such times 

 may be seen rising into the air like a steadily ascending column of smoke. The 

 fact is soon made known by the activity of all birds in the neighbourhood, and 

 even such large birds as Kites do not disdain to liawk at the fluttering termites in 

 the air, whilst many small quadrupeds and reptiles in the neighliourhood are on 

 the look-out for such as fall to the earth. These countless thousands are all males 

 and females bent on their nuptial tour, and the pairing once over, the female never 

 again quits the abode she selects, but devotes herself solely to replenishing the 

 race, a single female producing, it is said, 80,000 eggs in twenty-four hoiu's. 



The bulk of the community is composed of the so-called 'neuters,' and these 

 are of two sorts, the common 'labourer' and the 'soldier,' which last is provided 

 with an enonnous liead and formidable pincers. The courage and tenacity of these 

 little creatures is remarkable, and they will rather be torn in half than relax tlieir 

 grip of theii- opponent's flesh or body. Dr. Mason makes the following remarks 

 on them : — 



"The traveller in British Burma is frequently treading over mines of white 

 ants or tirmites, as they have colonized almost every part of the provinces ; but 

 their depredations are perhaps not as incessant as might be anticipated from their 

 bad reputation of being ' the most absolute pests of mankind.' My study-table 

 stood for several years within a few inches of a post tenanted by myriads, yet they 

 never disturbed it. Occasionally I made a small incision in the post, when, on 

 listening, I could immediately hear a thousand little taps within — the battle-roll 

 of sentinels beating to arms, and almost instantaneously, whole regiments would 

 appear with enormous siekle-shaped jaws to defend their fortress. They do not 

 usually, however, remain thus pacific, and unless the timber be impervious, they 

 tunnel their way from room to room, fi'om basement to attie, devouring chests of 

 apparel, linen, books, or whatever impedes their course. On their foraging ex- 

 peditions they frequently attach themselves to the exterior of a post, and arch their 

 pathway up to the roof, the destruction of which they silently and speedily effect. 



"The architectural labours of these social insects display great artistic beauty 

 and variety. A metropolis of theirs was exhumed near my residence in Maulmain, 

 the exteiior of which appeared only like a large mound, not more than six feet 

 high, but more than forty feet in circumference, with here and there a small circular 

 vestibule visible through the turf-covered bastions, or a low spiral turret protruding 

 above tlie oval vault. "Within were thousands of edifices with multiform com- 

 partments, suiTouncled and connected by labyrinths, domes, and portals ; while 

 beneath, curious stair-cases led do'mi long winding corridors, through innumerable 

 multilocular caverns — the whole series presenting the aspect of continuous stories 



