144 HISTORY OF 



state, and either establish new kingdoms, or pe- 

 rish within a day or two." 



The first order, the working insects, are most 

 numerous, being in the proportion of one hun- 

 dred to one of the soldiers. In this state they 

 are about a quarter of an inch long, and twenty- 

 five of them weigh about a grain, so that they are 

 not so large as some of our ants. 



The second order, or soldiers, have a very dif- 

 ferent form from the labourers, and have been by 

 some authors supposed to be the males, and the 

 former neuters ; but they are, in fact, the same 

 insects as the foregoing, only they have under- 

 gone a change of form, and approached one degree 

 nearer to the perfect state. They are now much 

 larger, being half an inch long, and equal in bulk 

 to fifteen of the labourers. 



The third order, or the insect in its perfect state, 

 varies its form still more than ever. The head, 

 thorax, and abdomen, differ almost entirely from 

 the same parts in the labourers and soldiers ; and, 

 besides this, the animal is now furnished with four 

 fine large brownish transparent wings, with which 

 it is at the time of emigration to wing its way in 

 search of a new settlement. It differs so much 

 from the other two, that they have not hitherto 

 been supposed to belong to the same community. 

 In fact, they are not to be discovered in the nest 

 till the approach of the rainy season, when they 

 undergo the last change, which is preparative to 

 the formation of new colonies. They are equal 

 in bulk to two soldiers and about thirty labourers; 

 and by means of the wings with which they are 



