248 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



fifteen abreast, following eacli other in close order, and going 

 straight forward. Here and there was seen a soldier, carrying 

 his^'vast head with apparent difficulty, at a distance of a foot or 

 two from the columns ; many other soldiers were to be seen, 

 standing still or passing about, as if upon the look-out lest some 

 enemy should suddenly surprise their unwarlike comrades. 

 But the most extraordinary and amusing part of the scene was 

 exhibited by some other soldiers, who having mounted some 

 plants, ten or fifteen inches from the ground, hung over the 

 army marching below, and by striking their jaws upon the 

 leaves at certain intervals, produced the noise above mentioned ; 

 to this signal the whole army immediately returned a hiss and 

 increased their pace. The soldiers at these signal-stations sat 

 quite still during these intervals of silence, except now and 

 then making a slight turn of the head, and seemed as solicitous 

 to keep their posts as regular sentinels. After marching 

 separately for twelve or fifteen paces, the two columns of this 

 army again united, and then descended into the earth by two 

 or three holes. Mr. Smeathman watched them for more than 

 an hour, without perceiving their numbers to increase or 

 diminish. Both the labourers and soldiers of this species are 

 furnished with eyes. 



One of the many unsolved mysteries of termite life is whence 

 they derive the large supplies of moisture with which they not 

 only temper the clay for the construction of their long covered 

 ways above ground, but keep their passages uniformly damp 

 and cool below the surface. Yet their habits in this par- 

 ticular are unvarying, in the seasons of drought as well as 

 after rain ; in the most arid positions ; in situations inaccessible 

 to drainage from above, and cut off by rocks and impervious 

 strata from springs from below\ Struck with this wonderful 

 phenomenon. Dr. Livingstone raises the question whether the 

 termites may not possess the power of combining the oxygen or 

 hydrogen of their vegetable food by vital force, so as to form 

 water ; and indeed it is highly probable that they are endowed 

 with some such faculty, which, however wonderful, would still 

 be far less astonishing than the miracles of their architectural 

 instinct. 



After having described the miseries which the tropical 

 insects inflict upon man — how they suck his blood, destroy his 



