MAKCHING TERMITES 289 



damage, to brush them off quickly into the vessel, as the ant- 

 eater does into his mouth. They are then parched in iron 

 pots over a gentle fire, stirring them about as is done in roasting 

 i coffee, and eaten by handfuls, without sauce or any other addi- 

 1 tion, as we do comfits. According to Smeathman, they resemble 

 I in taste sugared cream, or sweet almond paste, and are, at the 

 I same time, so nutritious, that the Hindoos use them as a 

 I restorative for debilitated patients. 



I While most termites live and work entirely under covered 

 galleries, the marching white ant {T. viarum) exposes itself to 

 [ the day. Mr. Smeathman on one occasion, while passing 

 through a dense forest, suddenly heard a loijd hiss like that of 

 a serpent ; another followed, and struck him with alarm ; but a 

 moment's reflection led him to conclude that these sounds pro- 

 ceeded from white ants, although he could not see any of 

 their huts around. On following this noise, however, he was 

 struck with surprise and pleasure at perceiving an army of 

 these creatures emerging from a hole in the ground, and 

 marching with the utmost swiftness. Having proceeded about a 

 yard, this immense host divided into two columns, chiefly com- 

 posed of labourers, about fifteen abreast, following each 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 sur- 

 prise 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 in- 

 tervals, 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 sepa- 

 rately 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, 



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