158 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. VIII. 



awls, which may be seen magnified in the last figure 

 fig- 4). 



2. Labourer magnified. 

 4. The head magnified. 



The workers and soldiers of all the different spe- 

 cies of termites never expose themselves to the open 

 air, but travel either underground, or in the interior of 

 such trees and substances as they destroy. It some- 

 times happens that they cannot proceed by latent 

 passages, although they find it necessary to search 

 for plunder above ground ; in this emergency they 

 make pipes of the same material with which they 

 build their nest. With this material they com- 

 pletely line most of the roads leading from their 

 nests into the various parts of the country, and 

 travel outwards and homewards with the utmost 

 security in all kinds of weather. If they meet 

 with a rock or any other obstruction, they will make 

 their way over the surface: for that purpose they 

 erect a covered way, or arch, still of the same ma- 

 terials, continuing it, with many windings and rami- 

 fications, through large groves ; and, where such a 

 precaution may be practicable, they construct sub- 

 terranean pipes running parallel with the surface 

 passages, into which they sink for security, when- 

 ever their galleries above ground may be destroyed 

 by violence, or they happen to be alarmed by the 

 tread of men or animals. 



" When one chances to enter," says Smeathman, 

 " a solitary grove where the ground is pretty well 



