320 ENTOMOLOGY 
tralian plants, the leaves of which present their edges instead 
of their faces to the sun. 
More than one species of termite may inhabit a single nest; 
in one South African nest Haviland found five species of ter- 
. mites and three of ants. ‘The 
eran: widely distributed genus Euwter- 
mes is essentially a group of 
mgiiline, or guest, species. 
Vermite mounds afford shelter 
to. scorpions, snakes, lizards, 
rats, and even birds, some of 
which nest in them. The Aus- 
tralian bushmen hollow out the 
mounds to make temporary 
ovens, and even eat the clay of 
which they are composed, while 
a 
ar, Se" 
natives of India and Africa are 
t 
i 
> {3 . 
; 
Ee 
accustomed to eat the termites 
themselves, the flavor of which 
is said to be delicious. 
Ravages. — In tropical re- 
gions the amount of destruc- 
tion done by termites is enor- 
mous, and these’ formidable 
pests are a constant source of 
consternation and dread. They 
Mound ob the *eompack? termite AVEMUIC. @.  SEChETION  THat, scOreenes 
ee eae aiey Sent gnetals ‘and even, Glassy While 
anything made of wood is sim- 
ply at their mercy. Always avoiding the light, they hollow 
out floors, rafters or furniture, leaving only a thin outer shell, 
and as a result of their insidious work a chair or a table may 
unexpectedly crumble at a touch. Jamestown, the capital of 
St. Helena, was largely destroyed by termites (1870) and had 
to be rebuilt on that account. 
In the United States and Europe few species of termites 
