TERMITES. 543 



posterity, by laying a countless number of eggs. As soon as 

 these are deposited the workers cany them off, and place 

 them in the cells, where they watch over them with the most 

 vigilant care, supplying the larvae with food as soon as they 

 are hatched ; and when the nursery becomes full, carrying 

 some off in their mouths to another cell. While some are 

 thus employed, others increase the size of their abode by run- 

 ning fresh corridors round the edifice, and forming new cells ; 

 while other parties, protected by soldiers, are foraging far and 

 wide for food for the ever-increasing population. 



In process of time — alwa^^s within twelve months — the 

 numberless progeny of the queen become full-gTOwn. Some 

 become developed into labourers, with smooth, rounded heads, 

 and mouths adapted for carrying loads and working up the 

 materials for the construction of their abodes ; others — the 

 fighting class — have heads of large size, provided with pointed 

 weapons of defence of various shapes, resembling, in different 

 species, horns, pikes, rams ; while others are furnished with 

 powerful jaws, resembling either sabres, swords, or sickles. A 

 third class appear with eyes, and long, delicate wings — gay, 

 happy creatures, far better formed, it would seem, to enjoy 

 existence than their hard-working brethren. These are the 

 males and females of the community. When they are pre- 

 pared to issue forth from their birth-place, the labourers busily 

 set to work to clear a passage to allow of their speedy egress. 

 This takes place generally on a damp, close evening or cloudy 

 morning. Countless numbers issue forth at intervals, till the 

 whole progeny of males and females have emerged from their 

 pupa state. They make a loud rustling noise as they fly through 

 the air in all dii-ections ; but they are immediately set upon by 

 numberless enemies, — goat-suckers, lizards, spiders, and ants. 



