ENTOMOLOGY. 



fast or faster than any other insect of their size, and are 

 incessantly bustling about their affairs. 



The seeond order, or soldiers, are of a different form, 

 having undergone a total change, they are larger than the 

 labourers, being generally half an inch long and are suppo- 

 sed by some Authors to be the males. The jaws of the mouth 

 are shaped like two very sharp awls jagged, and are capable 

 of piercing and wounding their enemies, being as hard as a 

 Crab's claw and placed in a strong horney head. 



The third order is a winged insect, and differs from 

 the former one in having large brown transparent wings, 

 with which at the time of emigration it flies in search of 

 a new settlement. In the winged state they are much enlar- 

 ged in size, being now seven tenths of an inch in length. 

 They are also furnished with two large eyes placed on 

 each side of the head and very conspicuous, which if they 

 have any before are not easily to be distinguished. Probably 

 in their two first states, their eyes, if they have any, may be 

 small, like those of the Moles, for which as they live a great 

 part of their time underground, they have little occasion, 

 and are of course undistinguishable. Not only all kinds of 

 Ants, birds and carnivorous reptiles, as well as insects, are 

 upon the hunt for the Termites, but the inhabitants of many 

 parts of Africa use them as food, made into a pleasant tasted 

 pastry, with an admixture of flour. 



The most remarkable circumstance in the Queen, is 

 the great enlargement of size which takes place in the abdo- 

 men during the state of pregnancy, during which they are 

 expanded to the length of three inches, like an oblong ball 

 of white Cotton. This circumstance also takes place in the 

 Pulex Penetrans of Linn m us, commonly called the Jigger 

 of the West Indies, and also in the different species of 

 Coccus or Cochineal Insec 



