the Termites of Africa and other hot Climates . 165- 
ment t’s). In fhort, it differs fo much from its form and appear- 
ance in the other two hates, that it has never been fuppofeb to 
be the fame animal, but by thofe who have feen it in the 
fame neft ; and feme of thefe have diftrufted the evidence of 
their fenfes. It was fo long before I" met with them in the nefts 
myfelf, that I doubted the information which was given me by 
the natives, that they belonged to the fame family (tab. X. fig.- 
1.) Indeed we- may open twenty nefts without finding one. 
winged one, for thofe are to be found only juft before the com- 
mencement of the rainy feafon, when they undergo the laft 
change, which is preparative to their colonization. Add to 
this, they fornetimes abandon an outward part: of their 
building, the community being diminiftied by fome acci- 
dent to me unknown. Sometimes too different fpecies of 
the real Ant (Formica) *■ poftefs themfelves by force of a 
lodgement, and fo are frequently diftodged from the' fame 
neft, and taken for the fame kind of infedts. This I know 
is- often the cafe with the nefts of the fmaller fpecies^ 
which are frequently totally abandoned by , the Termites, 
and completely inhabited by different fpecies ef Ants, Cock- 
roaches, Scolopendras, Scorpions, and other vermin, fond of 
obfeure retreats, that occupy different parts of their roomy 
buildings ; which clearly accounts for your having met with 
the real Ants in thofe nefts in .New Holland, 
{19) THere is a fort that frequently flies, having red wings. — This flying- 
** fort flings up the largeft hills, and is wonderfully nimble and induft^ous. ^al ' , 
kolbein’s Cape of Good Hope, 8vo, vol. II. p. 173. 
dapper call's the Wood Ants Acolalan , and fays it becomes as big as one’s 
fhumbj and then takes wing, Defeription de 1 ’Afrique, folio, p, 4590, 
