The organized social life of the “White Ants” or Termites is of unusual
interest for the student of animal intelligence. The Termites have
kings, queens, soldiers and workers.
Not related to the true Ants, the Termites are not unlike our Roaches
in the construction of their bodies. Though found in the United States
and in Europe, their main habitats are Africa and Australia. In the
latter countries their so-called nests are of prodigious dimensions,
exceeding sometimes five hundred times the length of the Insect (ten to
twelve millimeters), thus surpassing the tallest buildings constructed
by Man relative to the height of the builders. While the height of
Termite nests are sometimes more than 500 times the length of the
Insect, the Eiffel Tower is but 175 times as tall as the workers who
reared it. “The number of dwellers in these nests exceeds by count the
number of inhabitants of many large countries” (Molostwoff).