7^ LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 
LETTER VIII. 
MY DEAR HARRIET, 
I will now introduce you to a 
celebrated, and, in my opinion, interesting race 
of insects ; I mean the ants, which besides being 
indefatigably industrious, are extremely lively 
and frolicksome. I will begin with the Termites 
or white ants, which I think we may consider 
the nobility of the species. The majority of these 
animals are natives of tropical countries, though 
two species are indigenous to Europe, one of 
which, thought to have been imported, is come 
as far as Bourdeaux. Their societies consist of 
five different descriptions of individuals, workers 
or larvae, nymphs or pupae, neuters or soldiers, 
males and females. 1. The workers are the most 
numerous and active part of the community, 
upon whom devolves the office of erecting and 
repairing the buildings, collecting provision, at- 
tending upon the female, conveying the eggs, 
as soon as laid, to the nurseries, and feeding the 
young larvae till they are old enough to take 
