This work investigates the biological and psychological nature of the termite colony, questioning whether the collective entity functions as a single, unified organism. Eugene N. Marais, a South African naturalist and poet, draws upon years of field observation in the Waterberg region to propose his theory of the 'organic unity' of the white ant colony. He argues that the individual termite is merely a cell within a larger, decentralized body, challenging contemporary scientific views on instinct and consciousness.

Experts recognize this text as a significant historical contribution to the study of social insects, though many of its philosophical conclusions have been superseded by modern ethology. Readers frequently note the poetic quality of the prose, which distinguishes it from standard scientific treatises of the early twentieth century.