NATURE STUDY. 



PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE 



Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences. 



Voiv. III. April, 1903. No. 11. 



Damage by White Ants. 



BY EDWARD J. BURNHAM. 



The frontispiece this month illustrates the damage done 

 by termites, or "white ants," in Manchester, N. H., in 

 the winter and spring of 1903. A large vault used by a 

 business house, was found to be infested by these insects. 

 The illustration, reproduced from a photograph, shows 

 how the canvas covers of two large desk books had been 

 eaten. The oblong object in front of the books is a 

 package of papers which had been pierced through and 

 thiough. Several books and packages had been similarly 

 injured. 



The vault, located in a basement and designed to be fire- 

 proof, is built of brick, the walls, including a narrow dead- 

 air space, are sixteen inches thick. The walls are sur- 

 mounted with railroad iron, and entrance to the vault is by 

 two close-fitting iron doors, one within the other, there be- 

 ing the thickness of the wall between them. It was intend- 

 ed that this storage vault should be air-tight, and having 

 been constructed only five years ago^ it is next to impossi- 



