the Termites of Africa and other hot Climates. 18^ 
in a confufed heap of ruins, provided the king and queen are 
not deflroyed or taken away, every interface between the ruins, 
at which either cold or wet can poffibly enter, will be fo covered 
as to exclude both, and, if the animals are left undiflurbed, 
in about a year they will raife the building to near its prifline 
fize and grandeur. 
The marching Termites are not lefs curious in their order, as 
far as I have had an opportunity of obferving them, than thofe 
defcribed before. This fpecies feems much fcarcer and larger 
than the Tdermes bellicofus. I could get no information relative^ 
to them from the black people, from which I conjecture they 
are little known to them : my feeing them was very accidental. 
One day, having made an excurfion with my gun up the river 
Camerankoes,on my return through the thick foreft, whilfl I was 
fauntering very filently in hopes of finding feme fport, on a hid- 
den I heard a loud hifs, which, on account of the many ferpents 
in thofe countries, is a moft alarming found. The next hep 
caufed a repetition of the noife, which I foon recognized, and- 
was rather furprifed feeing no covered ways or hills. The 
noife, however, led me a few paces from the path, where, to 
my great ahonifhment and pleafure, I faw an army of Ter™ 
mites coming out of a hole in the ground, which could not be 
above four or five inches wide. They came out in vah num- 
bers, moving forward as fah feemingly as it was poffible for them 
to march. In lefs than a yard from this place they divided into- 
two hreams or columns, compofed chiefly of the firh order, 
which I call labourers, twelve or fifteen a-breah, and crouded- 
as clofe after one another as fheep in a drove, going flraight- 
forward without deviating to the right or left. Among thefe, 
here and there, one of the foldiers was to be feen, trudging- 1 
along with them, in the fame manner, neither flopping 
