XXVII 
TERMITES (WHITE ANTS) 
329 
crowbar to demolisli them. The material out of which 
they are constructed is in some cases wood that has 
passed one or more times through the alimentary canal 
of the termites, and the material is cemented together 
by a secretion furnished by glands. Smeathman des¬ 
cribed the nest of Termes hellicosus as consisting of clay¬ 
like material cemented by their secretions to a very firm 
consistence. 
In some parts these nests or termitaria are so numer¬ 
ous that they appear clustered together like huts in a 
The Queen in the Royal Cell. The abdomen, in consequence 
of the formation of eggs within it, grows enormously. 
The number of eggs she produces is prodigious. 
native village. They may be ten, twelve, and even 
eighteen feet high. Within these firm shelters the 
termites are protected from the vicissitudes of the 
weather and attacks from natural enemies. 
. The outer shell of the nest is not only useful to 
protect the community, but it preserves a regular degree 
of warmth which is very necessary for the development 
of the eggs and the growth of the young. The queen's 
cell is situated in the middle of the nest, and the 
entrances to it will not admit anything larger than the 
soldiers and workers. The royal cell is surrounded by 
a great number of chambers of various shapes and 
sizes, all of which intercommunicate and form an 
