160 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. VIII 



derful monster that damaged their castle to be be- 

 yond their reach. The labourers, who had fled on 

 the first alarm, are now seen hastening to repair the 

 breach, every one with a burden of ready tempered 

 mortar in its mouth. This they stick on to the 

 breach with such wonderful celerity and order, that 

 although thousands, nay, millions, seem employed, 

 yet they never embarrass one another. While the 

 labourers are thus engaged, the soldiers retire, save 

 here and there one, who saunters about, never touch- 

 ing the mortar. One, in particular, places itself 

 close to the part undergoing repair ; it may be seen 

 turning leisurely on all sides, and every now and 

 then, at an interval of a minute or two, lifting up 

 its head, and with its forceps beating upon the 

 building and making a vibrating noise, on which a 

 loud hiss, apparently from the whole body of la- 

 bourers, issues from withinside the dome and all 

 the subterranean passages : that it comes from the 

 labourers is very evident, for all these may be seen 

 hastening at every such signal, redoubling their 

 pace, and working as fast again. Attack the nest 

 again, and with a loud hiss the labourers disappear, 

 and the soldiers rush out ; so that the experiment 

 yields constantly the same result, of labourers at 

 work and soldiers rushing to battle, the duties of 

 each being as distinct as night and day." 



Smeathman gives the following account of the 

 marching termes. 



While sauntering very silently in the hopes of 

 finding some sport, on a sudden he heard a loud hiss, 

 which, on account of the many serpents in those 

 countries, is a most alarming sound. The next step 

 produced a repetition of the sound ; and then he 

 saw with astonishment and delight, an army of the 

 marching ants (termes viarum) emerging from the 

 ground : their march was orderly, and very rapid, 

 and their numbers prodigious : they were divided 

 into two columns sixteen abreast, composed chiefly 



