Adventures of a Young Naturalist
curious edifice which you took for a sponge. The only duty of the
soldiers is fighting against enemies that attempt to disturb the peace
of the colony."
"But I see thousands of holes; does each termite have a separate
chamber?"
"Not exactly; there is first a chamber for the queen, which is the
largest; then comes the nursery, afterwards a large compartment, in
which the working ants place the eggs which the queen lays night and
day."
"How I should like to see all this!"
Being convinced that practical illustration is better than the clearest
explanation, I again struck the nest. The workmen, who were beginning
to disappear, soon came out again to examine the spot threatened, and in
a moment after the surface of the nest appeared to be swarming. I then
kept making a noise at one point of the nest only, when the soldier ants
soon rushed out, easily recognizable by their enormous heads; finally, I
removed a small portion of the outside of the construction, and brought
to light a multitude of white specks. These were the eggs, which the
workmen hurried to carry farther into the nest. After having caused all
this disturbance, I led Lucien away, for the ground was covered with
soldier ants, and I was too well aware of the violence of their stings
to willingly expose him to them.
"But I haven't seen the queen," cried my young companion.
"She keeps quite in the centre of the building, immured in a cell which
she seldom or never leaves, for her bulk is equal to that of twenty or
thirty working ants. Sumichrast, who has been a great observer of these
insects, asserts that the queen lays about eighty thousand eggs a day.
As soon as they are hatched, the young termites are carried off into
large compartments, where they are fed until they are old enough to take
a part in the labor. During the rainy season, a certain number of white
ants are born with four wings, which enables them to proceed to a
distance and found other colonies; but these wings are only temporary,
and I have often been puzzled by finding immense quantities of them."
"How do the termites manage to build their dwellings?"
"The one we have just examined appears to be formed of earth, kneaded up
with a kind of gum which the insect secretes. In the subterranean
passages of a termite's nest there are arches which seem to be composed
of morsels of wood stuck together by some sticky matter. These insects
are omnivorous, and, like ants, take care to lay up abundant stores of
provisions."
We were now commencing to climb the mountain, and, raising my eyes
aloft, I was glad to see our two companions already seated by the fire.
CHAPTER XV.
OUR SUBSTITUTES FOR LAMPS.--FIRST GLANCE INTO THE CAVE.--THE
ELATERIDES.--THE GOTHIC HALL.--STALAGMITES AND STALACTITES.--A
CHICHIQUIMEC CEMETERY.--THE "TREE OF ST. IGNATIUS."--THE OPOSSUM AND ITS
LITTLE ONES.
Lucien had run on in front with the two partridges; when I arrived at
the bivouac, I found an enormous mole roasting on the fire, and
Sumichrast catching with the utmost care the fat which ran from it.
"How did you kill this animal?" I asked, addressing my companions; "I
did not hear you fire."
"L'Encuerado knocked it down with the butt-end of his gun, and just at
the same moment your two shots brought us back to the cave."
"Why are you collecting this fat? Is it a prophet of some new dish in
preparation?"
"No; but I intend inspecting the cave, and with this grease we shall be
able to make a lamp, which will be more than useful."
I approved of Sumichrast's idea, and, as he had discovered a colony of
moles, proposed to go after dinner and catch some of them, so as to
increase our supply of light. Besides, I hoped that in this walk we
should meet with some kind of resinous tree, the branches of which might
serve as torches. Lucien could hardly restrain his joy, and wished to
penetrate into the cave without further delay. He scarcely gave himself
time enough to eat, and scolded l'Encuerado for being so slow, which was
an indirect mode of asking us to hurry.
Having again reached the forest, we searched for a pine or a fir, the
branches of which, being full of resin, would have enabled us to show
more mercy to the moles. Hearing us mention these two trees, Lucien
wanted to know the difference between them.
"They both belong to the Coniferous family," replied Sumichrast; "but
firs generally grow upon lofty mountains far inland, while pines abound
on sea-coasts, the shifting, sandy soil of which is, after a time,
consolidated and fertilized by them."
Sumichrast's explanation still left much wanting; I saw this from
Lucien's numerous questions; but without seeing a specimen of each tree
it would have been difficult to better describe their peculiar
characteristics.
After a long and unsuccessful walk, we halted in front of a guaiac-tree
with dark-green foliage, a higher tree than any we had before met with.
This fine member of the Rutacean family was covered with pale-blue
flowers. It produces a gum used especially by the English in the
preparation of tooth-powder; but the hardness of its wood, which would
have blunted our weapons, induced me to pass it by. A little farther on,
l'Encuerado spied out a _liquid-amber_ tree, valuable on account of the
balsam that oozes from its branches when cut, which is burned by the
Indians as incense. He climbed the knotty trunk of this colossus, and
cut off some branches, which Sumichrast split into small pieces, after I
had cleared off their leaves. Our work was interrupted by the approach
of night, and we made our way to our bivouac, each loaded with a heavy
fagot.
As soon as we arrived, Lucien had the satisfaction of trying one of our
flambeaux. The branch crackled when lighted, and, as we entered the
cavern, five or six bats flew out. I led Lucien by the hand, and very
soon he was the only one who could stand upright. Afterwards we entered
a vast chamber with a dome-shaped roof, which became lower the farther
we penetrated; this was rather a disappointment, as we had fancied there
was something more to be seen than a mere cave. A heap of reddish earth
in one corner attracted Sumichrast's attention, who examined it to see
if he could discover some fossil bones. Standing all together, we must
have formed, by the smoky light of our odoriferous torches, rather a
fantastic-looking group. More than half an hour elapsed without
discovering any results from our digging. L'Encuerado, who had tried to
crawl in between the roof and the ground, suddenly raised an
exclamation; he had, in fact, all but fallen into a deep pit. In an
instant I was laid down flat on my stomach and crawling towards the
Indian; Lucien, owing to his size, was able to creep on his hands and
feet, and consequently soon got in front of me. We could soon see down
into the bottom of the hole; the burning fragments of our torches fell
upon a heap of stones at a depth of twelve or fifteen feet. L'Encuerado
threw one of the torches into the chasm, and the vague glimmer showed us
a yawning opening on the left. Delighted with this discovery, we now
beat a retreat, deferring a more thorough exploration until the next
day.
The night was dark, and during our absence the fire had almost gone out.
Just below us, a tree, the outline of which we could scarcely
distinguish, seemed covered with animated sparks. Lucien opened his eyes
very widely indeed, not being in the least able to understand this
phenomenon, which was produced by thousands of _elaterides_, insects
which have on each side of the thorax a yellowish spot which becomes
luminous in the dark.
Nothing could be more curious than to see innumerable glittering spots
rising, falling, and crossing one another with extraordinary rapidity;
one might have fancied it a tree bearing flowers of fire waving about in
the breeze. L'Encuerado came up with a specimen, which lighted up his
hand with a greenish glimmer. Lucien took possession of it, and the two
luminous spots looked to him like two enormous eyes. Suddenly the insect
gave a kind of shock to the boy's fingers, who looked at us full of
surprise.
"The name of the insect," said Sumichrast, "is derived from a Greek word
which signifies elastic; and it has just shown you that it well deserves
the family name which has been given to it. Examine for an instant how
it is shaped; the angles of its corslet form sharp points; added to
this, its sternum also terminates in a point which the insect can insert
at will into the cavity which exists under its second pair of legs. The
women in the _Terre-Chaude_, by passing a pin through this natural ring,
can fix this brilliant insect as an ornament in their hair, without
injuring it in the least. Now, then, place it on its back."
"It's pretending to be dead!" cried Lucien.
"Yes; it does that, like many other kinds of insects, in order to
deceive an enemy about to seize it."
"Oh, how it jumps!" exclaimed Lucien.
"That is its only means of getting on its feet again, when it has had
the misfortune of falling on its back. Look; it pushes the point which
terminates its chest against the edge of the hole situated lower down;
then it raises its head, piff! paff! you might fancy it was a spring
going off. It didn't succeed the first time, but now it is up on its
legs, and now you've lost it, for it has flown off!"
Lucien's first impulse was to dart off in pursuit of it, as the route it
had taken was shown by its luminous appendages. But it was long past our
usual hour for repose, so we all sheltered ourselves as well as we
could, and dreamt of our next day's adventures.
Day-break found us all up, and already comforted with a cup of coffee.
We had been troubled during the night by mosquitoes; but they were only
the harbingers of the legions which are before us. Lucien, full of
impatience, could not take his eyes off the entrance of the cave, and
followed all our movements with anxiety. A hollow stone which
l'Encuerado had found was filled with fat, a morsel of linen served as a
wick, and our make-shift lamp soon burned and gave forth light.
As the branches which were to serve as torches were being distributed, I
noticed that a yellow and transparent drop had formed at the end of
each. This gum, by its odor and color, has given to the tree which
produces it the name of _liquid amber_. At last, followed by my
companions, I entered the cave; l'Encuerado placed the lamp on the edge
of the pit, and the bats which had been disturbed the evening before
again commenced their whirling flight.
Preceded by Sumichrast, I ventured down to the bottom of the pit. A
narrow passage led from it into a vast chamber, the more distant parts
of which we could not discern on account of the darkness. While my
friend was exploring, I returned for Lucien. The lamp, thanks to the
Indian's skill, was safely let down without extinguishing the light;
lastly l'Encuerado himself made his appearance. Passing along the narrow
passage, I soon perceived Sumichrast, who looked like some fantastic
apparition as he shook his torch over his head, endeavoring to see
through the darkness which enveloped us.
The lamp being set down at the entrance of the passage, each of us took
a lighted torch, and advanced at a slow pace. Sumichrast and the Indian
skirted the wall to the left, while I walked along the wall to the
right. Our smoky torches gave but an imperfect light, and we could
scarcely see beyond three yards in front of us. A little farther on, the
ground was strewn with fallen stones; before venturing on this dangerous
ground, I cast a glance towards my companions; they were not in sight. I
gave them a call--a formidable clamor resounded through the chamber, and
Lucien crept close to me.