OF NATURAL HISTORY. S75 



tiiey encounter. This biting, joined to the ftriking of their 

 forceps upon the building, makes a crackling or vibrating 

 noife, which is fomevvhat ihriller and quicker than the tick- 

 ing of a watch, and may be heard at the diftance of three 

 or four feet. While the attack proceeds, they are in the 

 moft violent buftle and agitation. If they get hold of any 

 part of a man's body, they inftantly make a wound, which 

 difcharges as muck blood as is equal to their own weight. 

 When they attack the leg, the ftain of blood upon the flock- 

 ing extends more than an inch in width. They make their 

 hooked jaws meet at the firft ftroke, and never quit their 

 hold, but fufFer themfelves to be pulled away leg by leg, and 

 piece after piece, without the fmalleft attempt to efcape. On 

 the other hand, if a perfon keeps out of their reach, and 

 gives them no farther difturbance, in lefs than half an hour 

 they retire into their neft, as if they fuppofed the wonderful 

 monfter that damaged their caftle had fled. Before the 

 whole foldiers have got in, the labouring infeds are all in 

 motion, and haften toward the breach, each of them having 

 a quantity of tempered mortar in his mouth. This mortar 

 they ftick upon the breach as fafl as they arrive, and perform 

 the operation with fo much difpatch and facility, that, not- 

 withftanding the immenlity of their numbers, they never 

 ftop or embarrafs one another. During this fcene of appar- 

 ent hurry and confuiion, the fpeclator is agreeably furprifed 

 when he perceives a regular wall gradually arifing and filling 

 up the chafm. While the labourers are thus employed, al- 

 moft all the foldiers remain within, except here and there 

 one, who faunters about among fix hundred or a thoufand 

 labourers, but never touches the mortar. One foldier, how- 

 ever, always takes his ftation clofe to the wall that the labour- 

 ers are building. This foldier turns himfelf leifurely on all 

 fides, and, at intervals of a minute or two, raifes his head, 

 beats upon the building with his forceps, and makes the yi. 



