352 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



movement of which I have already spoken, and in a 

 few moments all had disappeared into the central 

 apartments, where the light could not penetrate. 



Curiosity was not the only motive which influenced 

 me in making my observations. In studying the 

 manners of the Termites, and endeavouring to form 

 a correct idea of the construction of their habitations, 

 I was more especially influenced by the wish of dis- 

 covering means of destroying these enemies, whose 

 numbers and minute size have rendered them almost 

 invincible. MM. Audouin, Milne-Ed wards, Blan- 

 chard, and Lucas had never made any prolonged stay 

 in the district, and consequently had been unable to 

 enter systematically upon this question, but many 

 other observers had attempted to solve this problem. 

 Different methods had been employed for protecting 

 the gardens and fruit trees, and, amongst other ex- 

 pedients, recourse had been had to sprinkling with 

 tar water, ploughing the land frequently and to a 

 great depth, and digging circular fosses round the 

 trunks of the trees. Essence of turpentine and 

 powdered arsenic have been suggested as means 

 for destroying those insects in their nests, and one 

 traveller assures us that the latter substance has per- 

 fectly succeeded at La Martinique.* Unfortunately, 

 however, these various processes have always failed 

 in the department of Saintonge, and the injections of 

 boiling potash lees, which have recently been tried, 

 are evidently inapplicable in most cases. f 



* Chauvallon (Voyage a la Martinique). A letter which I have 

 received from an unknown correspondent in America affirms the 

 same fact. 



f Madame George, who devotes herself to natural history, and 



