Packard.] THE SOCIAL LIPE OF ESTSECTS. 323 



Our illustration (Fig. 251, a, adapted from Srneathman by 

 Figuicr) represents the winged female of Termes lucifugus, 

 enlarged four or five times, the line indicating her natural 

 length ; d represents the wingless female of Termes hellico- 

 sus of the natural size, with her hind body distended with 

 eggs, the original segments being greatly enlarged. She is 

 surrounded witli numerous workers ; u represents one of the 

 workers of Termes lucifngus, magnified four or five times. 

 It will be noticed that the head of the worker or laborer is 

 quite small compared with that of the soldier of the same 

 species (c), in which the body is nearly twice as large, while 

 the head is enormous and armed with long scissors-like jaws, 

 for purposes of attack and defence. There are about one 

 hundred laborers to one soldier. 



The winged females are found flying about at the begin- 

 ning of the rainy season. After being on the wing for a few 

 hours they descend to the ground, where they are at once 

 attacked by the true ants, which drag multitudes of them 

 into their nests, so that Srneathman remarks that "it is won- 

 derful that a pair should ever escape so many dangers and 

 get into a place of security. Some, however, are so fortu- 

 nate ; and being found by some of the labouring insects that 

 are continually running about the surface of the ground 

 under their covered galleries, which I shall shortly describe, 

 are elected kings and queens of new states ; all those who 

 are not so elected and preserved certainl}' perish, and most 

 probably in the course of the following day. 



"The manner in which these labourers protect the happv 

 pair from their innumerable enemies, not only on the day of 

 the massacre of almost all their race, but for a long time 

 after, will I hope justify nic in the use of the term election. 

 The little industrious creatures immediately enclose them in 

 a small chamber of cla}' suitable to their size, into Avhich at 

 first they leave but one small entrance, large enough for 

 themselves and the soldiers to go in and out, but much too 



