THE WHITE ANTS. 



65. Their rage and fury against those who attack them. — 66. Their 

 industry and promptitude in repairing the damage of their habitation. 

 — 67. The TigUance of the soldiers during the process of repair. — 

 68. Effects of a second attack on their habitation, conduct of the- 

 soldiers. — 69. DiiEcuIty of investigating the structure of their habita- 

 tions — obstinate opposition of the soldiers — discovery of the royal 

 chamber — fidelity of the subjects to the sovereign — curious experiment 

 of Mr. Smeathman. — 70. Curious example of the repair of a partially 

 destroyed nest. — 71. The marching Termites — curious observation of 

 their proceedings by Smeathman — remarkable conduct of the soldiers 

 on the occasion. 



46. A smaller species of Termites erect habitations, ■which, if 

 they are of less dimensions, are not less curious in. their structure. 



These buildings are upright cylinders, composed of a well- 

 tempered black earth or clay, about three quarters of a yard high, 

 and covered with a roof of the same material in the shape of a 

 cone, whose base extends over and hangs down three or four 

 inches wider than the perpendicular sides of the cylinder, so that 

 most of them resemble in shape a round windmill, or stUl more 

 closely the round towers which are so frequently seen in Ireland,, 

 and which have attracted so much attention on the part of 

 antiquaries. Some of these roofs have so little elevation in the 

 centre, that they have a close resemblance to certain species of 

 mushroom. 



After one of these turrets is finished, it is not altered or 

 enlarged ; but when no longer capable of eontaining the commu- 

 nity, the foundation of another is laid within a few inches of it. 

 Sometimes, though but rarely, the second is begun before the 

 first is finished, and a third before they have completed the 

 second: thus they will run up five or six of these turrets at 

 the foot of a tree in the thick woods, and make a most singular 

 group of buildings, as shown in fig. 11. 



1 Nest of the Termes mordax, 



2 Nest of the Termes atrox. 



3 A turret with the roof begun. 



4 A turret raised only about half its height. 



5 A turret built upon one which has been thrown down. 



6 6 A turret broken in two. 



47. The turrets are so strongly bmlt, that in case of violence 

 they wiU much sooner overset from the foundations, and tear up 

 the ground and solid earth, than break in the middle ; and in that 

 case the insects will frequently begin another turret and build it, 

 as it were, through that which has fallen ; for they wiU. connect 

 the cylinder below with the ground, and run up a new turret from 

 its upper side, so that it will seem to rest upon the horizontal 

 cylinder only. 



114 



