Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

provided with everything necessary until they grow to the state of workers, when they take their respective places, and drive round the never flagging wheel of white ant industry.

The nests of the termites are sometimes concealed in the earth, or in the interior of trees, and through those they' bore galleries in such a manner, that, though the outer surface is left untouched, they fall to pieces on the slightest violence. Sometimes the nests are elevated several feet above the surface of the ground, and have a pyramidal form. They make their way with the utmost ease into trunks and boxes, destroying everything they contain, constructing their galleries, and sometimes taking up their abode in them. In consequence of this, Humboldt informs us, it is almost impossible to meet with papers or documents in any of the warmer parts of equinoctial America which extend further back than sixty years. Parish registers and city charters go the same way, and many a republican constitution has been eaten up in a night. Cloth, linen, and books, are equally to their taste; and in one night they will destroy all the boots and shoes left in their way. Forbes, in his "Oriental Memoirs," tells us that, on surveying a room which had been locked up during an absence of a few weeks, he observed a number of ant-works advancing towards some prints and drawings, in English frames, the glasses of which appeared unusually dull, and the frames covered with dust. "On attempting," he adds, "to wipe it off, I was astonished to find the glasses fixed to the wall, not suspended in frames as I had left them, but completely surrounded with incrustation, cemented by the white ants, who had actually eaten up the deal frames and backboards, and the greater part of the paper, and left the glasses upheld by the incrustation or covered way, which they had formed during their depredations." A microscope which Mr. Smeathman had left for a few months at Tobago, he found, on returning, completely eaten up, with the exception of the glass and metal. Their cells were built all round the pedestal and tube, and the glass and lacquer-work were spoilt by their

gummy incrustations. Another party of these ants took a bacchanalian turn, and, pouncing on a cask of Madeira wine, devoured the staves, and let out the wine. When the termites appear, chests, drawers, wainscoting, rafterjoists, and everything of a vegetable origin, disappear; and, perhaps, on retiring to rest, you are astonished, the moment you prostrate yourself on the bed, to find that it crumbles into powder beneath you, and, that, in fact, the whole substance has been eaten up, except the outsides of all the frames and trappings, which, till touched, look as sound as ever. If a stake in a hedge has not taken root and vegetated, it becomes their business to destroy it; if it has a sound bark, they will enter at the bottom, and eat out all but the bark, which will remain, and exhibit the appearance of a solid stick; but if they cannot trust the bark to remain whole while they devour the inner wood, they cover the whole stick with mortar, and it then looks as if it had been dipped in thick mud, and the mud left to dry on. To work then they go, and the mud-wall, or outside coat of the stick, is all they leave behind them. "These excavated trees," says Smeathman, "have deceived me two or three times in running; for in attempting to step two or three feet high, I might as well have attempted to step on a cloud; and have come down with such unexpected violence, that, beside shaking my teeth and bones almost to dislocation, I have been precipitated, head foremost, amongst the neighbouring bushes."

We hinted at the pugnacity of the soldiery of these ants, and we now come to deal more directly with this part of the subject. Upon making a breach in one of their castles, a general alarm is excited; the labourers retire within doors, and the vindictive troops appear at the point of danger. Immediately upon striking the wall, a soldier walks out, and, after ascertaining the nature of the dange" retires to give the alarm. Upon this, two or three more hurry out, and the breach is soon filled with soldiers, rushing out to defend their citadel, which they do with indescribable fury. In biting, they frequently strike their forceps on the wall, which makes a cracking noise, somewhat shriller than the

ticking of a watch. The labourers within seem to understand this, and reply to it with a kind of hissing. "I one day," says Smith, "attempted to knock off the top of one of these hills with my cane; but the stroke had no other effect than to bring thousands of insects out of doors to see what was the matter, upon which I took to my heels, and ran away as fast as I could." "If in their rage," Smeathman says, "they come in contact with the hands or legs of their assailant, they make their mandibles meet through the skin at every stroke, and inflict considerable pain, while the blood from one of the wounds will stain the stocking to more than an inch in width." They never quit their hold, but will suffer themselves to be pulled limb from limb without any attempt to escape. They are thorough Spartans, and fight to the very last, disputing every inch of ground so well as often to drive away the negroes, who are without shoes, and to make the white people bleed plentifully through their stockings.

Latreille has discovered a fifth degree of citizenship in these communities, which differ little from the workers, except in having the rudiments of wings, or rather wings folded up, as happens with butterflies in the state of crysalis. These are probably only workers in a more advanced state of growth, and it is equally probable, judging by the aid of a broad analogy, that Latreille is wrong in supposing that the soldiers are perfect neuters, and not undeveloped females, seeing that sex is a fundamental principle of all organised existence, and that in the case of bees and common ants, the supposed neuters are of this undeveloped kind.

A CONTRAST.

In the latter part of September, on one of those cloudy days often met with, at that season of the year, when the sun was obscured by a thick and hazy atmosphere, while a gentle, drizzling rain was noiselessly falling, and the

curtains of night seemed prematurely drawn over the horizon, shrouding nature in the gloom of night ere the sun had reached the western horizon;-on such an evening might have been seen a weary traveller wending his lonely way through the dark forests of the South, on the road towards Charleston. Far from home, in a strange land, anxious to find a shelter from the drizzling rain, which seemed to increase as night drew on, he quickened his pace, hoping to find some human habitation where he might rest for the night.

While thus pressing onward, peering through the gloomy mist, he descried a splendid mansion a little distant from the road. Oh! how his heart was lightened; how his face beamed with joy as he approached the longwished-for object.

On arriving at the gate, the wayworn traveller hallooed a negro made his appearance, and the following conversation ensued:

Traveller. How d'ye do, uncle: who lives here?
Negro. Massa, Sir.

T. Is he at home?

N. Yes, Sir; he's in the house.

T. Will you please open the gate?

N. What you want, Sir?

T. I wish to stay all night.

N. Massa no let you stay, Sir: he nebber let trabbler stay with him.

T. Open the gate: I must see him.

The darkey opened the gate; the traveller proceeded to the house, and entered the piazza. The landlord made

his appearance.

Traveller. Good evening, Sir.

Landlord. Good evening, Sir.

T. I wish to stop with you for the night, Sir.

L. Can't do it, Sir: don't keep public-house.

T. But, Sir, it rains; the night will be very dark, and I'm a stranger in these parts, and don't know the road.

L. Can't do it, Sir: you must go to the tavern.

T. How far is it to the tavern, Sir?

L. About eight miles.

T. That's too far off: myself and horse are both weary; besides it rains, and will be very dark.

L. Can't help it, Sir: can't be troubled with travellers.

T. Well, Sir, let me have shelter for myself and horse, and I'll trouble you for nothing more.

L. I have told you I could not do it; nor do I wish you to trouble me further.

T. Well, Sir, just give me shelter for my horse, and let me stay in your negro-houses until morning, and I will trouble you no further.

L. Sir, you must leave my premises, and the sooner the better; for you are only losing your time.

The traveller said no more; but with a keen, discerning eye, cast one long piercing look at the human form before him, and left.

Here stands our first picture. Now let us look at the other.

On a beautiful and bright morning in June, when the sun had reached the summer solstice, and many of the wealthy inhabitants of the Southern States were seeking the cooling breezes of a more northern latitude, there was seen, on the road leading to the Virginia springs, a splendid carriage, drawn by four beautiful greys, accompanied by a postillion. In the carriage were seated a wealthy southern planter and his lady, on their way to these delightful watering places.

Suddenly an axletree of the carriage gave way, and the carriage with its contents fell gently to the ground without further injury.

The postillion was sent onward to seek assistance; he had not gone far before he came to a neat farmhouse, and made known to the master of the house the sad catastrophe which had just happened.

The farmer immediately called together several of his servants, ordered his own carriage, and, with a few strong hands, was soon on the ground where the accident

« AnteriorContinuar »