94 Mr.T.S. Savage on the Termitide of West Africa. 
the domiciles—is a wise provision in nature. It guards the hills 
against the heavy wasting rains of the country, and enables them 
to resist the shock of decayed falling trees, which so often occur 
on recently cleared grounds. When it is known that it is the 
practice of the natives of Africa not to plant the same piece of 
ground two years in succession, but let it lie fallow four or five 
years, and clear up a new spot every year, and as many trees are 
girdled and left to decay and fall, the wisdom of this feature will 
be understood. 
On clearing away the shrubbery and grass around the base of 
a hill, several covered ways or clay tubes will be seen leading to 
neighbouring stumps and decayed logs. These tubes, sometimes 
12 inches in diameter at base, gradually diminish, ramifying as 
they proceed outward. If their connection with the hill be 
broken, as many holes will be seen, constituting mouths of pas- 
sages, which run in a sloping direction to a depth of 12 or 18 
inches under the domicile. These passages expand into basement 
rooms, bounded by clay pillars, supporting a series of archwork 
on which rest. the “cellular work,” “royal apartments,” and 
superincumbent interior portions of the structure. 
The exterior of the hill consists of a clay wall varying in thick- 
ness on the different sides from 6 inches to 1} foot. Through- 
out this wall there are cavities, cells and passages, anastomosing 
and running from the base to the apex, forming a communica- 
tion with the “dome.” Within, at the base, elevated to a height 
of one to two feet above the surface of the ground, and central in 
respect to the circumference of the hill, is the apartment of the 
king and queen, styled by Smeathman “the royal chamber,” 
surrounded by many other apartments or chambers, containing 
eges and young of various sizes and stages of growth, all sup- 
ported by the archwork mentioned. 
It will be observed, that Mr. Smeathian states that the “royal 
apartments” are on a level with the surface of the ground ; but, 
in every case, I have found them elevated from 1 to 2 feet, de- 
pending on the height of the structure. Indeed, at certain sea- 
sons, this elevation becomes a matter of necessity in many lo- 
calities. Were it otherwise, the royal pair would be in danger 
of inundation during the long and violent rains of that country. 
Immediately above the royal apartments, extending across 
and up the sides of the hill to about two-thirds their height, 
are the “nurseries ” of Smeathman, a yellow, dry, comb-like gra- 
nulated substance, inclosed in moist red clay, so moist that it 
can be made by the hands into balls. In this substance are nu- 
merous narrow serpentine cavities or cells, containing eggs and 
young in different stages. Scattered on the surface are perceived, 
in a recent state, many minute white globular fungi. Imme- 
