THE TERMITES. 195 



and only seems more complicated owing to the greater 

 number of differing individuals. Lespes has shown that in 

 the nests of the small Termites' species (Termes lucifugus) 

 found in France, in addition to the larva of males, fertile 

 females, and neuters, and in addition to the workers and 

 soldiers of the latter, there are nymphze of two other kinds ; 

 the smaller with short and the larger with longer wing- 

 rudiments. There are also two kinds of males and of fertile 

 females. The smaller ones appear towards the end of the 

 month of May ; the others, much larger, only in August. 

 Lespes calls the first the minor, the latter the major, kings 

 and queens. The most remarkable are the soldiers, among 

 which Lespes has recognised the barren of both sexes, and of 

 these there is about one to a hundred workers a far better 

 ratio than among men, whose standing armies are often a 

 fiftieth or a thirtieth of the total population. The soldiers 

 have enormously large, hard, and strong heads, almost as 

 big as the rest of their bodies, and these are armed with 

 gigantic and very strong and sharp mandibles, while the 

 heads and mandibles of the non-combatant workers are 

 much smaller and weaker ; the whole body of the latter is 

 also of less size and strength. Their mandibles are suited 

 only for gnawing and grasping, whereas those of the soldiers 

 serve as terrible weapons. The part played by the soldiers 

 in defending the nest has already been mentioned, and they 

 also appear to act as overseers and directors. It was told 

 above how they watched over the repair of the breach. 

 Smeathman saw further one day, as he was passing through 

 a forest in West Africa, a large army of the so-called 

 marching Termites, whose larvae and soldiers are not blind, 

 as in the other species, come out of a hole in the ground, 

 and disappear again into a similar hole at some distance. 

 Their number was very large and they marched with the 

 greatest swiftness in thick ranks of fifteen, mostly workers. 

 Here and there Smeathman saw a soldier marching in the 

 same way, carrying his heavy head with apparent difficulty. 

 One or two feet off the column appeared other soldiers, 

 either standing still or walking up and down as if watching 

 lest any enemy should threaten a surprise. Others had 

 climbed up neighboring plants, looked around, and made the 

 already-mentioned crackling noise, whereupon the whole army 

 replied in like fashion, quickening their steps. Smeathman 



