CHAP. X. MARCHING WHITE ANTS. 301 



every now and then, at the interval of a minute or 

 two, the soldier on these occasions makes a peculiar 

 noise, by lifting up his head and striking his jaws 

 against the wall of the nest; no sooner is this done, 

 than all the labourers (which appear to regard this 

 noise as a signal for despatch or greater diligence) 

 answer by a loud hiss, apparently increasing their 

 pace, and applying to their work with renewed dili- 

 gence. The celerity, indeed, with which these astonish- 

 ing creatures, by their union of labour, can repair their 

 dwellings, is not the least remarkable part of their 

 history. Mr. Smeathman ascertained that, in a single 

 night, they will restore a gallery of three or four yards 

 in length, " If, attacking the nest, you divide it in 

 halves, leaving the royal chamber, and thus lay open 

 thousands of apartments, all will be shut up with their 

 sheets of clay by the next morning ; nay, even if the 

 whole be demolished, provided the king and the queen 

 are left, every interstice between the ruins, at which 

 either cold or wet can possibly enter, will be covered ; 

 and, in a year, the building will be raised nearly to its 

 pristine size and grandeur." * 



(312.) In the history of another African species, 

 the Termes viarum, or marching white ant, there are 

 some very peculiar characteristics. The Termes belli- 

 cosus, last described, lives and works entirely under 

 cover of its own walls. These, on the other hand, 

 expose themselves to the day. Mr. Smeathman, on one 

 occasion, while passing through a dense forest, suddenly 

 heard a loud hiss like that of a serpent; another 

 followed, and struck him with alarm ; but a mo- 

 ment's reflection led him to conclude these sounds 

 proceeded from white ants, although he could not per- 

 ceive any of their huts around. On following this 

 noise, however, he was struck with surprise and pleasure 

 at perceiving a prodigious army of these creatures 

 emerging from a hole in the ground, and marching 

 with the utmost celerity. Having proceeded about a 



Int. to Ent. vol. ii. p. 39. 

 X 2 



