PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 438 
out, lest some enemy should suddenly surprise their un- 
warlike comrades ;——other soldiers, which was the most 
extraordinary and amusing part of the scene, having 
mounted some plants and placed themselves on the points 
of their leaves, elevated from ten to fifteen inches from 
the ground, hung over the army marching below, and 
by striking their forceps upon the leaf, produced at in- 
tervals the noise before mentioned. ‘To this signal the 
whole army returned a hiss, and obeyed it by increasing 
their pace. The soldiers at these signal-stations sat 
quite still during the intervals of silence, except now and 
then making a slight turn of the head, and seemed as 
solicitous to keep their posts as regular sentinels. The 
two columns of this army united after continuing sepa- 
rate for twelve or fifteen paces, having in no part been 
above three yards asunder, and then descended into the 
earth by two or three holes. Mr. Smeathman continued 
watching them for above an hour, during which time 
their numbers appeared neither to increase nor dimi- 
nish :—the soldiers, however, who quitted the line of 
march and acted as sentinels, became much more nu- 
merous before he quitted the spot. The larvee and 
neuters of this species are furnished with eyes. 
The societies of Termes lucifugus, discovered by 
Latreille at Bourdeaux, are very numerous; but in- 
stead of erecting artificial nests, they make their ledge- 
ment in the trunks of pines and oaks, where the branches 
diverge from the tree. They eat the wocd the nearest 
the bark, or the alburnum, without attacking the inte- 
rior, and bore a vast number of holes and irregular 
galleries. That part of the wood appears moist, and 
is covered with little gelatinous particles, not unlike 
