_ The amazingly great and sudden 
Mischief they frequently do to the 
property of people in tropical cli- 
mates, makes them well known and 
greatly feared by the inhabitants. 
_ The size and figure of their build- 
ings haye attracted the notice of 
‘Many travellers, and yet the world 
has not hitherto been furnished with 
bid tolerable description of them, 
though their contrivance and execu- 
tion scarce fall short of human inge- 
nuity and prudence; but when we 
come to consider the wonderful eco- 
-nomy of these insects, with the good 
order of their subterraneous cities, 
they will appear foremost on the 
_ fist of the wonders of the creation, as 
‘most closely ‘imitating mankind in 
rovident industry and regular go- 
yernment. ~ 
The termites are represented by 
Linnezus as the greatest plagues of 
_ both Indies, and are indeed every 
_ way, beiween the tropics so deemed, 
from the vast datnages they cause, 
and the losses which are experienced 
1 consequence of their eating and 
perforating wooden buildings, uten- 
_sils, and furniture, with all kinds of 
 houshold-stuff, and merchandize, 
which are totally destroyed by them, 
_ if not timely prevented; for nothing 
less hard than metal or stone can 
escape their most destructive jaws. 
They have been taken notice of by 
various travellers, in different parts 
of the torrid zone; and, indeed, 
where numerous, as is the case in 
all equinoctial countries, and islands 
that are not fully cultivated, if a 
person has not been incited by curi- 
osity to observe them, he must have 
been very fortunate who, after a 
short residence, has not been com- 
pelled to it, for the aalety of his 
‘property. 
St > 
= a ae ih ee 
_ NATURAL HISTORY. 
939 
These insects have generally ob- 
tained tae name of ants, it may be 
presumed, from the similarity in 
their manner of living, which is, in 
large communities that erect very 
extraordinary nests, for the most 
part, on the surface of the ground, 
from whence their excursions are 
made through subterraneous passa- 
ges or covered galleries, which they 
build whenever necessity obliges, or 
plunder induces, them to march 
above ground, and, ata great dise 
tance from their habitations carry 
on a business of depredation and 
destruction, scarce credible but to 
those who have seen it- But, note 
withstanding they live in commu- 
nities, and are, like the ants, omni- 
vorous; though, like them at a 
certain period, they are furnished 
with four wings, and emigrate or 
colonize at the same season: they 
are by no means the same kind of 
insect, nor does their form corres- 
spond with that of ants in any one 
state of their existence ; which, like 
most other insects, is changed several 
times. 
The éermifes resemble the ants 
also in their provident and diligent 
labour, but surpass them as well as 
the bees, wasps, beavers, and all 
other. animals which I have ever 
heard of, in the art of building, as 
much as the Europeans excel the 
least cultivated savages. It is more 
than probable they excel them as 
much in sagacity and ‘the arts of 
government ; it is certain they shew 
more substantial instances of their 
ingenuity and industry than any 
other animals} and do in fact lay 
up vast magazines of provisions and 
other stores; a degree of prudence 
which has of late years been denied, 
perhaps without reason, to the ants. 
Their 
