8 Queensland Termites. [Sess. 
winged stream. In the species under consideration, instead 
of the flight being from 
the level ground, temporary 
towers are erected to form 
a better starting-point. 
Not long after their first 
and last flight, perhaps half 
an hour, these creatures— 
shorter lived than Ephem- 
eras—begin to drop their 
wings, which they cast aside 
with what seems a volun- 
tary wrench. Death quickly 
overtakes most of them, and 
they fall helpless victims to 
gathering crowds of black 
ants, occasional spiders (Af¢- 
tide), and birds. Some in- 
dividuals, perhaps with a 
happier fate, manage to conceal themselves in a hole in the 
ground, and survive to found a new colony, but such a chance 
is rare indeed. Such is the honeymoon of the termite, another 
instance of the prodigality of nature. 
Are Termites purely Vegetarian ?—It may well be asked, 
Are any animals purely vegetarian, or purely carnivorous? I 
doubt it. In Australia cows eat bones in no small quantities, 
and horses are sometimes fed on salt flesh. In Norway, I am 
told, cattle are fed on fish. Again, both cats and dogs eat grass. 
I look round for evidence of the carnivorous tastes of the 
termites ; it may be scanty, but it is conclusive. Outside their 
nest, almost the worst against them is that they eat leather, but 
inside the case is much worse—they eat each other. I may 
give a curious proof of this. It is a common practice to 
poison a termitary by giving the termites something good to eat 
steeped in arsenic. The tit-bit may be very small, only sufficient 
to be eaten by a few. Yet ere long they all die—the living eat 
up the dead, and so a very little arsenic goes a long way. 
Termites can communicate with each other by Sownd.— 
Termites can be heard when not seen. The sound is like the 
ticking of a watch—wmore strident, perhaps rather more rasp- 
Temporary Tower. 
