322 11 AMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



by the power which they possess, insignificant as 

 they are, of successfully undermining the homes of 

 these lords of creation. Thanks to the Physalias and 

 the Termites, the loss of the first few days was amply 

 repaired, and this season, of whose success I had 

 nearly despaired, proved ultimately to be one of the 

 most favourable that I had ever enjoyed. 



Passing over the Physalias and the important ques- 

 tions of philosophical anatomy which have been excited 

 by their strange organisation, we will for the present 

 limit ourselves to the consideration of the Termites. 

 This name has been given to insects belonging to 

 the order of the Neuroptera, and which by their 

 most essential characters approximate to the Libel- 

 lulie, or Dragon-flies, which are well known to all 

 French readers under the name of Demoiselles. But 

 although they belong to the same zoological group, 

 these insects exhibit widely different habits. 



The Dragon-flies are essentially carnivorous. Like 

 almost all animals of prey, they pass their life in iso- 

 lation ; and only associate with other individuals of* 

 the same species, in obedience to the laws of repro- 

 duction. In the conditions of larva and pupa they 

 live at the bottom of our ponds and brooks. Here, 

 imbedded in the mud, they wait patiently until some 

 insect or mollusc, or even some young fish, comes 

 within their reach. They then uncoil a very singular 

 kind of weapon, something like the spring of a watch, 

 which represents in them the lower lip. This is a 

 sort of animated mask, armed with serrated and 

 strong pincers, and supported by articulated pieces, 

 the entire length of which equals that of the body 



