ENTOMOLOGY. 



and general hiss takes place from the labourers, who seem 

 to hasten at such signal, redouble their pace and work 

 as fast again. If however the assailant should renew his 

 attack upon the building, the scene suddenly changes, a 

 loud hiss takes place and the labourers suddenly withdraw 

 into their pipes and galleries, in a moment they all vanish 

 and the soldiers come forth as numerous and vindictive 

 as before. On again ceasing with the attack they retire 

 and the labourers once more come forth peaceably to their 

 work. The royal chamber, where the King and Queen 

 reside, is centrally placed and large enough to hold many 

 hundreds of the attendants, several of these serve the pur- 

 pose of nurses, for the deposting of the infant eggs which 

 are laid by the Queen. The marching Termites are not 

 less curious in their order than those above described, 

 and they are larger and scarcer, they live in holes of the 

 ground about four or five inches wide, from which they 

 issue in vast numbers and afterwards divided into two streams 

 or columns, twelve or fifteen abreast, and crowded like 

 sheep, going straight forward in a direct course without 

 deviation to the right or left. The soldiers, who are larger 

 than the others, place themselves on each side of the 

 path and stimulate the Anfs to move forwards by a striking 

 noise, which the army return by a loud and general hiss, 

 and by an increased pace and motion. The (Economy 

 of Nature is wonderfully displayed in the species which 

 reside under ground, which have no eyes until they 

 arrive at a more perfect and winged state, at which time 

 they become furnished with organs suitable to their change 

 of situation. 



The nests are formed of a dark brown clay, which 

 when burnt affords a fine and clear red brick. Within, 

 the whole building is pretty equally divided into innumera- 

 ble cells of irregular shapes, sometimes they are quadrangu- 

 lar or cubic and sometimes pentagonal ; but often the angles 



