606 



HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



that the reader Bhonld understand more fiilly the structure of 

 the royal cell, an illustration of it is here introduced. 



When viewed from the outside, it would hardly be recognized 

 for the habitation of an insect, for it looks like a large lump of 

 hardened clay, about as large as an ordinary French roll, and 

 not very unlike it in shape. On a closer inspection, a number 

 of little holes may be seen, and these apertures afford an un- 

 failing indication as to the real nature of the clay lump. Fig. 2 

 represents the external appearance of one of these cells. 



i * 



TtRMITE CKLL. 



Supposing that a queen Termite cell be cut vertically, so that 

 the knife passes through either of the little round holes, it will 

 present an appearance which is shown at Fig. 1. The large 

 hollow of the cell is nearly filled by the body of the female, 

 whose head and thorax are seen in the cavitv. On either side is 



