TERMES. 



buildings (ul'ually termed hills) which tlicfe infefts ercft, are 

 ja tLeii general form like fugar -loaves, and about ten or 

 tvvelve feet high ; and confift of an exterior part, which is 

 hrge and ftrong, intended partly for defence, and partly for 

 preferving a regular degree of warmth in order to hatch the 

 ego-s and cherifh the young : and an interior, which is the 

 l.abitable part, divided into many apartments for the refi- 

 Jence of the king and queen, the nurfing of their progeny, 

 the accommodation of the foldiers and labourers, or maga- 

 zines of provifion. The royal chamber, in the interior 

 building, or that occupied by the king and queen, is fituated 

 near the centre, and ufually in the fliape of a fcmi-oval 

 within. 



In the infant (late of the colony, it is not more than about 

 ar. inch in length, but in time it is enlarged to fix or eight 

 inches in the clear, being in fize adapted to that of the 

 queen. It has doors or entrances, at pretty equal dif- 

 tances from each other, which entrances are of a fize not to 

 adiTiit any animal larger than the foldiers and labourers : fo 

 that the kino' and queen, when once immured, can never go 

 out. The royal chamber is furroundcd by many others of 

 different fizes, (hapes, and dimenfions ; and they either open 

 into each other, or communicate by paflages fuitably con- 

 trived. Theie apartments are connefted with the maga- 

 zines, formed altogether of clay, and nurferies. The provi- 

 fions lodged in the former appear by the microfcope to con- 

 lift principally of the gums or infpiflTated juices of plants. 

 The nurferies are compofed entirely of vifooden materials, 

 joined together apparently with gums. Thefe nurferies are 

 occupied by the eggs, and young infefts, which appear at 

 firft in the fhape of labourers, but white as fnow. They are 

 very compaft, and divided into fmall chambers, not one of 

 which is to be found of half an inch in width. They are 

 placed round and near the royal apartments. As the queen 

 enlarges, her chamber is alfo enlarged ; and new apartments 

 are fitted up for her attendants ; and alfo new nurferies at a 

 remoter diftance. Thus, fays Mr. Smeathman, they con- 

 tinually enlarge their apartments, pull down, repair, and re- 

 build, according to their wants, with a degree of fagacity, 

 regularity, and forefight, not even imitated by any other 

 kind of animals or infeAs which he has ever heard of. Thefe 

 nurferies are always found flightly overgrown with or 

 plentifully fprinkled with fmall white globules, about the 

 fize of a fmall pin's head, firft fuppofed to be the eggs, but 

 found by the microfcope to be fmall mufhrooms. The 

 royal chamber is fituated at about a level with the furface 

 of the ground, at an equal diftance from all the fides of the 

 building, and in every direftion fnrrounded by the apart- 

 ments of labourers or foldiers, for the purpofe of attend- 

 ance. Thefe apartments compofe an intricate labyrinth, 

 extending a foot or more in diameter, from the royal 

 chamber on every fide. Here the nurferies and magazines 

 of provifions commence, and being feparated by fmall empty 

 • cliambers or galleries, are continued on all fides to the out- 

 ward fhell, and reaching up within it two-thirds or three- 

 fourths of its height. All thefe chambers, and pafTages 

 leading to and and from them, being arched, help to fupport 

 one another : and the exterior building fupports them on 

 the outfide. Our limits will not allow our defcribing all the 

 fubterranean galleries or pafTages, and the manner in which 

 they are artfully made to communicate with different parts of 

 the building, and to fuit the convenience of the labourers 

 and foldiers, as thoroughfares for pafTmg and repafling with 

 their loads of materials and provifions. 



There are other nefts or habitations conftrufted by other 

 fpccies, which are in the form of turrets, or upright cy- 

 linders, and contain a number of ceils : they ai-e of two fizes, 



for the accommodation o a larger" and fmafler fpceies : and 

 again anotlier kind of iiells, which is the habitation of a dif- 

 tinfl fpecies ; this is generally fpherical or oval, and built 

 in trees. 



Of the three orders above-mentioned, the labourers, 

 which are about one-fourth of an inch long, and twenty-five 

 of them weigh about a grain, are the moft numerous ; e. g. 

 in the T. bellicofus, tliere lecni to be at leaft one hundred 

 labourers to one of the fighting infefts or foldiers. The 

 foldiers are about iialf an inch long, and equal in bulk to 

 fifteen of the labourers ; the mouth of the latter is evidently 

 calculated for gnawing and liolding of bodies, whereas that of 

 the former, or foldiers, has its jaw (haped like two fliarp 

 awls, a little jagged, and as hard as a crab's claws, fo that 

 they are incapable of any thing but piercing or wounding : 

 in infefts of the third order, which Iiave arrived at their per- 

 feft ftate, the head, thorax, and abdomen, are wlioUy dif- 

 ferent from thofe of the otlicr orders, and they are furnifhed 

 with four large browniili tranfparent wings ; their length is 

 fix or feven-tenths of an inch, and each is equal in bulk to 

 thirty labourers : they have now two eyes which are vifible, 

 whereas if they had them before they are not diftinguifhable. 

 Thefe infefts are gathered and eat by the inhabitants, and 

 reckoned both delicious and nourifliing food. The king and 

 queen are lodged in apartments, which are clofed up, fo that 

 a paffage remains merely for the ingrels and egrefs of the 

 labourers and foldiers, but at which (as we have already faid) 

 neither of the royal pair can come out : and in the bufinef^ 

 of propagation the abdomen of the female extends to an 

 enormous fize, fo that an old queen's will be fifteen hundred 

 or two thoufand times the bulk of the reft of her body, and 

 twenty or thirty thoufand times the bulk of a labourer, and 

 by its periftaltic motion, are protruded eggs to the amount 

 of fixty in a minute, or eighty thoufand and more in twenty- 

 four hours : the eggs are removed by the attendants into the 

 nurferies, and after they are hatched, the young are provided 

 with every thing neceffary till they are able to fhift for 

 thcmfelves. It is remarkable of all the difterent fpecies of 

 termites, that the working and figiiting infefts never expofe 

 themfelves to the open air ; but either travel under ground, 

 or within fucli trees or fubftances as they deftroy, or through 

 pipes made of the fame materials with their nefts. The ter- 

 mites v\hich build in trees, frequently conftruft their nefts 

 within the roofs and other parts of houfes, to which they 

 do confiderable damage, unlefs foon extirpated ; and tlie 

 larger fpecies enter under the foundations of houfes, through 

 the floors, or bore through the pofts of buildings, making 

 lateral perforations and cavities, as they proceed. They are 

 equally deftruftive when they get into a trunk containing 

 clothes aiid other things, and into ftores, &c. 



Upon opening the hills in which the termites lodge, the 

 behaviour of the foldiers excites admiration. AVhen a breach 

 is made, however quickly it be done, a foldier will run out, 

 and walk about the breach, as if to fee whether the enemy is 

 gone, or to examine what is the caufe of the attack. He 

 will fometimes return again, as if to give the alarm ; but in a 

 fliort interval he is followed by two or three others, running 

 as faft as they can, and thefe are followed by a large body, 

 others alfo fucceeding them, as long as any one continues to- 

 batter their building : nor is it eafy to delcribe the rage and 

 fury which they manifeft on the occafion ; biting every 

 thing in their way, and making a vibrating noife. Tike the 

 ticking of a watch, perceptible at the diftance of three or four 

 feet. If they get liold of any one who attacks their habit- 

 ation, they will in an inflant fuck out blood enough to weigh 

 againft their whole body ; and if they chance to wound the 

 leg, the ftain upon the ftocking will be feen to extend an inch 



ti iit 



