94 Mr. T. S. Savage on the Termitidie 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, Vv^hich 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 li 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 

 eggs and young of various sizes and stages of growth, all sup- 

 ported by the archwork mentioned. 



It will be observed, that Mr. Smeathman 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- 



