THE KOMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



those enormous bulks of timber, which, having 

 stood in stately grandeur and rich life for a thou- 

 sand years, have at length yielded to death. Not 

 long does the vast mass lie cumbering the soil 

 beneath : the termites attack it, enter its substance 

 from the ground, and in the course of a few weeks 

 succeed in so emptying it, as to leave it a mere 

 deceptive shell, on which if you step, to use the 

 comparison of Smeathman, "you might as well 

 tread upon a cloud." 



We presume that, in the following description of 

 a scene in Brazil, we may understand the insects 

 of which we are now speaking, though the trav- 

 eller calls them "ants:"— 



"A number of tall, prostrate trees were lying 

 about, upon which large column of ants of all 

 kinds moved busily to and fro. In penetrating; 

 into the depths of the primeval forest, one sees 

 evidence at every step that these minute creatures 

 are the destroyers of the colossal trees, whose 

 strength braves all the attacks of storm and 

 wind. A striking instance is this of how small 

 are often the means which the Creator employs to 

 produce the mightiest results; for what greater 

 disproportion can^be" imagined than between an 

 ant and one of these giants of the forest? No 

 sooner is a tree attacked by them than it is 

 doomed ; its size and strength are of no avail ; and 

 frequently these little insects will destroy it in such 

 a manner that the bark alone remains, and all the 

 woody fibres crumble away, until the tall tree 

 falls at length to the ground with a tremendous 

 crash, a prey to the united and persevering at- 

 tacks of millions and millions of the ants. Besides 

 these proofs of the destructive power of these in- 

 sects, the forests along the Estrada exhibit evi- 

 dence of their skill in the pyramidical ant-hills, 

 108 



