infefts, in the Linnjean fyftern. It's diftinguifh- 
ing charatlers are; that it has fix feet formed for 
running; two eyes; fetaceous antennsej and a 
mouth with two jaws, 
LinnjEus enumerates three fpecies; one of 
which is the death-watch ; another, the Termes 
fatalis, which he reprefents as one of the greateft 
pefts of either Indies, on account of the prodigious 
havock it makes in every fort of furniture and ap- 
parel, as well as in the fruits of the earth. 
This naturalift, however, feems to have given 
an imptrfecl and inadequate defcription of this 
formidable tribe: we fhall therefore have recourfe 
to the ingenious Mr. Smeathman, from whofe 
account the fubfcquent particulars are abftrafted. 
The Termites, which have been noticed by va- 
rious travellers in different parts of the torrid 
zone, and generally denominated white ants, re- 
iemble thele fagacious infecfts in their manner of 
living, which is in communities; forming extra- 
ordinary nefts in the furface of the ground, and 
various fubtcrraneoiis pafTages; and alfo in their 
provident and diligent labour: but in every ref- 
pe<5l much exceed thefe congenerous infe6ls. 
Smeathman obferves, that the infe6l, in it's per- 
feft ftate, has four wings, without any fling; and 
confequently fliould be arranged under the neu- 
roptera, and not under the aptera of thcLinntean 
fyftem. 
The communities of Termites confifb of one 
male and one female, generally the parents of all 
the reft; and of three orders of infefts, apparently 
of very different, though really of the fame fpecies. 
Thofe of the firft order are the v/orking infefts, or 
labourers; the fccond comprehends the fighting 
infefts, or foldiers, which are exempted from la- 
bour; and the third are the winged, or perfeft in- 
fefts, which are male and female, and capable of 
propagation, but are neither labourers nor fol- 
diers. To this order belong the kings and queens; 
and, within a few weeks after they are elected and 
elevated to this rank, they migrate, and either 
eftablifh new kingdoms, or perifh in a day or two. 
The largeft fpecies, called the Termes lullico- 
fus, is the beft known of any on the African coaft : 
it erefts immenfc buildings of well-tempered clay 
or earth, which are conftrufted with fingular in- 
genuity. In one refped:, it is peculiarly mif- 
chievous; and, in another, equally important and 
ufeful, by deftroying thofe vegetable or animal 
fubftances which encumber the earth, and are 
noxious on account of their putridity. 
The buildings which thefe infedls ere£l are in 
general of a conical fhape, and about ten or 
twelve feet high; confifting of an exterior part, 
which is large and ftrong; and of an interior, or 
the habitable part, divided into many apartments, 
for the refidence of the king and queen, the nurf- 
ing of their progeny, the accommodation of the 
foldiers and labourers, or magazines of provifion. 
There are other nefts or habitations conftnifted 
by different fpecies, which are in the form of tur- 
rets, or upright cylinders, and contain a number 
of cells : they are of two fizes, for the accommo- 
dation of a larger and a fmaller fpecies. And 
there is alfo another kind of nefts, generally fphe- 
rical or oval, built in trees, the refidence of a di- 
ftinft fpecies. 
The labourers, which are by far the moft nume- 
rous of the three orders already fpecified, are about 
a quarter of an inch long; and the foldiers are 
about half an inch long, and equal in magnitude 
to fifteen of the labourers: the mouth of the lat- 
ter is evidently calculated for gnawing and hold- 
ing bodies; whereas that of the former has it's 
jaws fhaped like two fliarp awls, a little jagged, 
and as hard as a crab's claws; fo that they are in- 
capable of any thing but piercing or wounding. 
In the infefts of the third order, or fuch as have 
arrived at full perfedlion, the kead, thorax, and 
abdomen, are wholly different from thofe of the 
other orders; and they are furniflied with four 
large browniffior transparent wings; their length 
IS fix or feven tenths of an inch, and each is equal 
in bulk to thirty labourers. When arrived at 
maturity, they have two eyes vifible, which be- 
fore were imperceptible. 
The Termites are collefted and eaten by the 
natives, who efteem them excellent food. The 
king and queen are lodged in apartments fo clofed 
up, that one paffage only remains for the ingrefs 
and egrefs of the labourers and foldiers, but at 
which neither of the royal pair can come out. In 
the bufinefs of propagation, the abdomen of the 
female extends to an enorm.ous fize; fo that an 
old queen's will be fifteen hundred, or twothou- 
fand times the bulk of the reft of the body, and 
twenty or thirty thoufand times the bulk of a la- 
bourer; and, by it's periftaltic motion, eggs are 
protruded to the amount of fixty in a minute, or 
eighty thoufand and upwards in twenty- four 
hours. The eggs are removed by the attendants 
into the nurferies; and, after being hatched, the 
young are furniOied with every neceffary till they 
are capable of providing for themfelves. 
It feems worthy of remark, that none of the 
working and fighting infefts ever expofe them- 
felves to the open air, but either travel under 
ground, or within fuch trees and fubftances as 
they deftroy, or through pipes made of the fame 
materials with their nefts. Thofe Termites which 
build in trees frequently conftruft their nefts 
within the roofs and other parts of houfes; to 
which they do confiderable damage, unlefs fpee- 
dily extirpated: and the larger fpecies enter under 
the foundations of houfes, through the floors, or 
bore through the pofts of buildings, making late- 
ral perforations and cavities as they proceed. 
They are alfo equally deftruclive to clothes or 
ftores. 
Smeathman makes mention of a particular fpe- 
cies, to which he gives the appellation of walking 
Termites : thefe are confiderably larger, as well 
as lefs common, than the others. 
TERN, BROWN; the Sterna Nigra of Lin- 
nseus. This bird, which is alio called the brown 
gull, is defcribed by Ray as having the whole un- 
der fide white, and the upper brown; the wings 
partly brown, and partly alk-coloured; the head 
black; and the tail undivided. Pennant, how- 
ever, conjecftures that this bird is no other thaa 
the young of the greater Tern. 
Tern, Great, or Sea-Swallow ; the Sterna 
Hirundo of Linneeus. This bird is about four- 
teen inches long; and the expanfion of the wings 
thirty. The bill and feet are of a fine crimfon 
colour; the former being tipt v.'ith black, ftraightj 
flender, and fnarp-pointed. The crown and hind 
part of the head are black; the throat and whole 
under fide of the body are white; and the upper 
part, together with the coverts of the wings, arc ' 
of a pale grey colour. The tail confifts of twelve 
feathers ; the exterior edges of the three outmoft 
are grey, the reft white j and the exterior on each 
