84 Field- Labourers 



obliged to come out for food it brings some of the earth 

 with it, and builds a tunnel within which it always 

 remains. 



The food of the termite is dead wood, and, not 

 content with what it finds on the ground, it climbs the 

 trees in search of it, toilsomely carrying earth for its 

 tunnels wherever it goes. There may be perhaps a few 

 feet of dead wood at the end of a long branch some 

 thirty feet from the ground, and the whole distance 

 must be covered in if the termite is to reach it. But 

 as it does not know exactly where the food desired is 

 to be found, it more often than not covers the whole 

 tree with tunnels and galleries made on speculation. 



The extent to which this tunnelling is carried, and the 

 amount of earth brought up, are something incredible. 

 In some districts of tropical Africa there are millions 

 of trees covered with tubes, every one of which must 

 be plastered over with many pounds of soil. The 

 tunnels generally are about the size of a small gas-pipe, 

 some occasionally larger, and here and there are large 

 chambers covering nearly the whole trunk for some 

 feet. Every branch, every twig has a tunnel, and as 

 for the dead wood which falls to the ground, none is 

 ever to be seen, as it is at once encased in soil. At 

 first sight the traveller may think he has found a faggot, 

 but on closer inspection it proves to be nothing but a 

 cast in mud, a very perfect cast, with all, even the 

 minutest, knots reproduced. 



But of trunks, branches, boughs, or even twigs lying 

 about on the ground, there is nothing to be seen. All 

 are eaten up. 



The outside texture of the termite galleries is like 

 that of coarse sand-paper; but being intended for 



