Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/74

 stone; others are smaller, and constructed in a looser manner. The ground is everywhere streaked with the narrow covered galleries which are built up by the insects of grains of earth different in colour from the surrounding soil, to protect themselves whilst conveying materials wherewith to build their cities—for such the tumuli may be considered—or carrying their young from one hillock to another. The same covered ways are spread over all the dead timber, and about the decaying roots of herbage, which serve as food to the white ants. An examination of these tubular passages or arcades in any part of the district, or a peep into one of the tumuli, reveals always a throng of eager, busy creatures. I became very much interested in these insects while staying at Santarem, where many circumstances favoured the study of their habits, and examined several hundred colonies in endeavouring to clear up obscure points in their natural history. Very little, up to that date, had been recorded of the constitution and economy of their communities, owing doubtless to their not being found in northern and central Europe, and, therefore, not within reach of European observers. I will give a short summary of my observations, and with this we shall have done with Santarem and its neighbourhood.

White ants are small, pale-coloured, soft-bodied insects, having scarcely anything in common with true