692 Marvels of the Universe 
plex, for there is probably no system of social 
life throughout the entire animal kingdom so 
elaborate as that of the Termites. But whereas 
the communal life of the Ant hinges upon the 
helplessness of the young—each Ants’ nest 
being virtually a huge co-operative nursing 
establishment—that of the Termite does not 
admit of a like explanation, because the newly- 
hatched young are well able to fend for them- 
selves. The members of a “‘ termitarium ’’— 
1.€., a community or state of Termites—vary 
in number from a few hundreds in some 
species, to millions—it may be hundreds of 
TERMITES. millions—in others. They are always divided 
The male Termite is here shown with wings outspread; Into several grades, or castes, which can be 
underneath to the left is one type of soldier Termite, while to 2 19 o : Oh 2 2 
the right is the worker. (All are a little larger than nature.) distinguished readily by their apPcakan Ce: In 
some instances the differences are so great that 
it seems well-nigh incredible that the various castes belong to the same species. The number of the 
castes varies greatly in different kinds of Termites, but there are always two sharply distinguished 
general classes—to wit, the propagators and the workers. The latter frequently include a number 
of individuals, easily known by the great size of their heads and jaws, which are termed 
“soldiers.” It is commonly supposed that the soldiers are charged with the defence of the 
community, but recent investigations have cast grave suspicion upon their ability to accom- 
plish this task. The worker Termites, indeed, appear to be better fighters than the so-called 
soldiers. 
These soldier Termites, at least in the case of certain species, constitute a kind of scientific puzzle. 
With their great jaws they are unable to gnaw wood, or to avail themselves of the other sources 
of food-supply open to their companions. Thus they are condemned to long periods of starva- 
tion, broken at intervals by cannibal feasts. Not only do they devour the dead of the community 
and kill off the sick and ailing, they also, in times of excitement, exhibit a kind of mania, and 
destroy six or eight of their fellows with a few blind strokes of their huge jaws, incidentally pro- 
viding themselves with a hearty meal. Yet they decline to eat the dead of alien tribes. In a word, 
these warriors seem rather to impose upon than to protect their community, and one marvels that 
they should be tolerated within its walls. 
The worker Termites are true to their name. They build up and repair the nest, tend the eggs, 
collect and store food, and cherish the king ana queen. These royal personages call for a special 
introduction. They are the only perfectly developed individuals in a termitarium—all the other 
members of the community being 
wingless and incapable of repro- 
duction. When royal Termites 
first reach maturity they possess 
ample wings. At a certain season 
of the year these young princes 
and princesses are produced in 
very large numbers, and on a 
given day they all leave the nest, 
after the manner of true Ants, 
and disperse in all directions. 
Most of them are snapped up 
THE QUEEN TERMITE. 
She is the mother of the hive, laying eggs at the rate of sixty a minute, that 
is eighty thousand a day. She is usually about three inches long. 
