INSECTS 



female corresponds with the "queen" in a hive of bees; 

 but, unlike the queen bee, the queen termite allows the 

 "king" termite to live with her throughout her life in the 

 community. 



It appears, then, that the termite community is a com- 

 plex society of castes, for we must now add to the worker 

 and soldier castes the two castes of potentially repro- 

 ductive individuals, and the "royal" or actual producing 

 caste, consisting of the king and the queen. We are thus 

 introduced to a social state quite different from anything 

 known in our own civilization, for, though we may have 

 castes, the distinctions between them are largely matters 

 of polite concession by the less aspiring members of the 

 community. We theoretically claim that we are all born 

 equal. Though we know that this is but a gratifying 

 illusion, our inequalities at least do not go by recognized 

 caste. A termite, however, is literally born into his 

 place in society and eventually has his caste insignia in- 

 delibly stamped in the structure of his body. This state 

 of affairs upsets all our ideas and doctrines of the funda- 

 mental naturalness and rightness of democracy; and, if 

 it is true that nature not only recognizes castes but 

 creates them, we must look more closely into the affairs 

 of the termite society to see how such things may come 

 about. 



Let us go back to the swarm of winged males and 

 females that have issued from the nest. The birds are 

 already feeding upon them, for the termites' powers of 

 flight are at best feeble and uncertain. The winds have 

 scattered them, and in a short time the fluttering horde 

 will be dispersed and probably most of its members will 

 be destroyed one way or another. The object of the 

 swarming, however, is the distribution of the insects, and, 

 if a few survive, that is all that will be necessary for the 

 continuance of the race. When the fluttering insects 

 alight they no longer have need of their wings, and by 

 brushing against objects, or bv twisting the body until 



