41^ THE INSECT WORLD. 



two feet in height, which support the egg rooms. These are httle 

 cells with partitions of sawdust stuck together with gum, which sepa- 

 rate at the opening the large chambers from the clay halls. Placed 

 between the attics and the great nave surmounting the royal hall, the 

 nursery is in the most desirable position possible for uniformity of 

 temperature and for ventilation. 



The royal cell encloses a unique couple, objects of the most 

 assiduous attentions, but kept in closest captivity, for the doors are 

 too narrow to afford a passage to the monstrous queen, and even to 

 the male, who keeps generally crouching by her side. Thousands of 

 servants busy themselves round the mother ; they feed her and carry 

 away, night and day, the myriads of eggs which she lays. The eggs 

 are placed in the egg houses, where they give birth to white larvae, 

 resembling the workers, which nourish themselves at first on a sort 

 of mouldy fungus which grows on the partitions of their cells. They 

 then become pupaj, then neuters, or males and females, the last two 

 being provided with wings. 



On a stormy evening the males and females come out of their 

 nest by millions to couple in the air ; then immediately afterwards 

 they fall to the ground and lose their wings, when they become an 

 easy prey to their enemies. A few couples only, picked up by the 

 workers, are put under shelter, and become the nucleus of a new 

 colony. The soldiers have no other occupation but to defend the 

 nest. If man attacks them, at the first blow with the pickaxe 

 they are to be seen running out furiously. They attack their 

 aggressors, pierce them till they bring blood, and with their sharp 

 pincers hang on to the wound, and allow themselves to be torn to 

 pieces rather than leave go their hold. The negroes who have no 

 clothes are soon put to flight; Europeans only get off with their 

 trousers very much spotted with blood. During the combat, the 

 soldiers strike from time to time on the ground with their pincers, 

 and produce a little dry sound, to which the workers answer by a 

 sort of whistling. The workers immediately make their appearance ; 

 and with their pellets of mortar set to work to stop up the holes, and 

 to repair the damage. The soldiers then re-enter, with the exception 

 of a small number, who remain to superintend the work of the 

 masons ; they give, at intervals, the usual signal, and the workers 

 answer by a whistling which means, "Here we are!" as they redouble 

 their activity. If the attack recommences, the soldiers are at their 

 posts, defending the ground inch by inch. During this time the 

 workers mask the passages, stop up the galleries, and wall up with 

 care the royal cell. If you manage to penetrate as far as this 



