CHAPTER XVIII. 



BUILDING mSECTS. 



The Termite, or Whitb Ant — General habits of the insect — African Termites 

 and their homes — ^Termites as articles of food — ^Indian Termites — ^Account of 

 their proceedings — American Termites — Mr. Bates' account of their habits — 

 European Termites — ^Their ravages in France and Spain — Id. de Quatrefages and 

 his history of the Termites of Rochefort and La Bochelle — ^The Evhenes and 

 its mnd-buUt nest — The Tbtpoxtlon of South America — The Pelop(eus and 

 its curious nest — The Mds-davbeb Wasp — Mr. Goss's account of its habits — 

 — The Mblipona of America — Mr. Stone's Wasp nests and their history — 

 Difference of material — The Fobaoino Ants of South America and their 

 various species — Nests and habits of the Foraging Ants — ^The Aokicultubal 

 Ant of Texas — ^Dr. Lincecum's accounts of its liabits. 



We now pass to the many insects which may be classed among 

 the Builders. The reader wiU probably notice that several of 

 the true builders are omitted in this department, but will find 

 them under the head of Social Insects. 



Of the Building insects the Tekmite, or White Ant, as it is 

 popularly and wrongly called, is the acknowledged head and 

 chief. There are certain other insects that erect habitations 

 which are truly wonderful, but there is not one that approaches 

 the Tennite in the size of its building or the stone-like solidity 

 of the structure. 



If the reader will refer to the large illustration, he will see 

 that the Termite of Southern Afidca can erect nests of very great 

 size. Three of these structures are shown, and a human being 

 has been introduced by one of them in order to show their 

 average height. 



The history of the Termites is so complicated, and so full of 

 incident, that I might occupy several hundred pages of this 

 work in describing them and their nests, and yet not have 

 exhausted the subject. I shall, therefore, give a genei-al sketch 

 of the Tei-mites and their habits, and then relate a few details 



