404 The Probable Danger from White Ants. (July, 
been injurious. Even its appearance in myriads after the falling 
of an old uninhabited house in Rochefort, in France, did not draw 
the attention of the people tothe danger. Some time afterwards 
more accidents happened. In a boarding-house a whole dinner 
party fell suddenly from the third story down into the cellar, and 
some other buildings threatened similar mishaps. The danger was 
increased, as each owner carefully denied having these fearful — 
guests, for fear of depreciating the value of his house. The anvil 
of an industrious blacksmith yielded under his hammer, and the 
block supporting it broke to pieces, entirely destroyed by white 
ants. The attention of the government was drawn finally to the 
danger by the destruction of the costly timber stored in the navy 
yard for the building of men-of-war, and the destruction of the 
naval archives. Several times scientific commissions were sent 
to investigate the new pest and to propose remedies ; and scien- 
tific societies in vain offered prizes for the fortunate destroyer of 
these animals. Nevertheless every remedy proved useless, as 
refuse and manure spread the obnoxious insects further. Con- 
stant attention and the destruction of the pipes, and use princi- 
pally of only metal and stone for the construction of new build- 
ings, were considered the only remedies against the white ants. 
Some years later they did less damage, and disappeared, as insect 
pests commonly do, without any known reason. For the last 
twenty years they have existed everywhere in the formerly in- 
fected departments, but without being obnoxious. 
The North American species (Termes flavipes) in form and 
color is very much like the European, but differs in the more 
yellowish legs. The species has been known to science since the 
end of the last century. Their obnoxious power was first shown 
in Europe, in the beautiful hot-houses at Schoenbrunn, belong- 
ing to the Emperor of Austria. The insect was believed, prob- 
ably by mistake, to have been imported with plants from South 
America, for till now this species has not been observed south of 
the North American continent. It was not possible to get rid 
of them in Schoenbrunn, in spite of great expense and carefu 
labor. One of the largest. hot-houses was so nearly destroyed 
by them that it had to be torn down to prevent its falling to 
ruin. Besides the beams, they had destroyed the tubs in which 
the plants were set. The new hot-houses were built of iron, but 
the white ants are still living in them. 
The whole region of the United States east of the Rocky 
Mountains possesses only one species, the above-mentioned T. 
