A YOUNG NATURALIST. 153 



But we had in the meantime quite forgotten our dinners, so 

 we set off hunting in various directions. I skirted the edge of 

 the forests, accompanied by Sumichrast and Lucien. "We had 

 walked for an hour without finding anything, when four par- 

 tridges, with ash-coloured breasts, tawny wings, and tufted heads, 

 rose about fifty paces from us, and settled down a little farther 

 on. Having arrived within easy gunshot, I told my son to fire 

 when I did, and two of them (which savants call the Sonini 

 partridge) fell dead on the ground. These pretty birds are rarely 

 met with in Mexico, at least in the part where we were. 



I now returned towards the bivouac, taking a path through 

 the forest. 



" papa ! here 's a great sponge," cried Lucien, suddenly. 



On our right, there was a shapeless, porous, yellowish mass, 

 rising three or four feet above the ground. I saw at once that 

 it was the nest of a termite, or ant, which the Mexicans call 

 comejen. 



" It is a nest of white ants," I said to my son ; " they are 

 insects of the neuropteral order, and allied to the libellula." 



" But where are they?" 



" You will soon see," I answered. 



So, kicking the spongy mass, immediately out came a multi- 

 tude of insects, which swarmed about in every direction, as if 

 to ascertain the cause of the disturbance. Lucien wanted to ex- 

 amine them closer. 



" Take care," I called out to him ; " the termites you see are 

 nothing but the inofi'ensive workers ; the soldier ants will soon 

 make their appearance, and if they bite you they will certainly 

 draw blood." 



Lucien looked at me, thinking I was joking. 



" I am speaking quite seriously," I hastened to add; "termites, 

 like bees and ants, the latter of which they much resemble at 

 first sight, live in communities, and build nests which are often 

 larger th^n the one you are looking at. This nest, skilfully 

 divided into cells, contains a king, a queen, workmen, and sol- 

 diers. The workmen are the clever architects, whose duty it is 

 to build, maintain, and, in case of need, increase the curious 



