220 



THE WONDER OF LIFE 



The so-called ' soldiers ' play a very important role as 

 guides and scouts. Wken Escherich broke a marck by 

 making a little gully with bis finger, there was general 

 disorganization in the ranks be- 

 hind the interruption, and the 

 spectacle was seen of the soldiers 

 exerting themselves to the utmost 

 to restore order and the broken 

 connexion. They are also scouts, 

 searching out new lines for forag- 

 ing. ' Very carefully, step by 

 step, just hke cats, they slink 

 forwards, one behiad the other, 

 and if the foremost detects any- 

 thing the least suspicious, he 

 draws nervously back, pulling 

 his "brave" comrades after 

 him.' 



Professor Bugnion acted as 

 war-correspondent to the black 

 army from December 18 till March 8, and the story of 

 the goings out and comings in is of great interest to the 

 serious student of animal behaviour. We cannot do more 

 than refer to a few of the observations. The importation 

 of a second colony led to a war which lasted for three days, 

 after which a peace was concluded, and the first colony 

 (which had no queen and only a few children) joined the 

 second. An excursion was made every day ; fifteen cocoa- 

 trees were visited, some at a distance of 15-20 yards ; five 

 roads were established, which were carefully adhered to. 

 Occasionally, however, the whole army got lost, failing to 

 find the track after they left the tree, and long detours 



Fm. 42.— Soldier Termite, 

 T ermes convulsion- 

 ari«s ; enlarged. {After 

 Bugnion and Popoff.) 



