S74f THE PHILOSOPMT 



which the labouring termites fele£t the finer parts, \vhichj> 

 after being worked up in their mouths to the confiftence of 

 mortar, become that foUd clay or ftone of which their hills, 

 and every apartment of their buildings, except the nurferies, 

 are compofed. Other galleries afcend and lead out horizon- 

 tally on every fide, and are carried under ground, but near 

 thefiirface, to great diftances. Suppofe the whole nefts with- 

 in a hundred yards of a houfe were completely deftroyed, the 

 inhabitants of thofe at a greater diflance will carry on their 

 fubterraneous galleries, and invade the goods and merchan- 

 dizes contained in it by fap and mine, unlefs great attention 

 and circumfpedliion are employed by the proprietor. 



Mr. Smeathman concludes his defcription of the habita- 

 tions of the termites hellicofi^ with much modefty, in the fol- 

 lowing words : < Thus 1 have defcribed, as briefly as the fub- 

 ' je<St would admit, and I trull: without exaggeration, thofe 



< wonderful buildings, whofe fize, and external form, have 



< often been mentioned by travellers, but whofe interior, and 



< moft curious parts are fo little know^n, that I may venture 



* to confider my account of them as new, which is the Only 



* merit it has ; for they are conftrudled upc^n fo different a 



< plan from any thing elfe upon the earth, and fo complicat- 

 « ed, that I cannot find words equal to the tafli.' 



When a breach is^ made in one of the hills by an ax, or 

 other infi:rument,the firfl objedt that attracts attention is the 

 behaviour of the foldiers, or fighting infedls. Immediately 

 after the blow is given, a foldier comes out, walks about the 

 breach, and feems to examine the nature of the enemy, or 

 the caufe of the attack. He then goes in to the hill, gives 

 the alarm, and, in a fhort time, large bodies rufh out as faft 

 as the breach will permit. It is not eafy to defcribe the fury 

 thefe fighting infedts difcover. In their eagernefs to repel 

 the enemy, they frequently tumble down the fides of the 

 ^illybut recover themfelves very quickly, and bite every thing 



