406 SYNOPTIC COLLECTION. 



form; also see PL 983, fig. 3) with two pairs of wings. 

 It so happens, however, that this occurs with only com- 

 paratively few members of the colony. The winged 

 insects swarm ; that is, they leave the nest together, and 

 after this "marriage flight" new colonies are probably 

 founded, although Grassi l concludes after prolonged 

 investigations that no further result attends swarming 

 than a -wholesale slaughter of the individuals. This view 

 is strengthened by Hagen 2 who witnessed a swarm of 

 termites attended by fifteen species of birds, and some 

 of these were so gorged with termites that they could 

 not close their beaks. 



While it may be true, as heretofore generally stated, 

 that the colonies of some species are founded by the 

 wingless and helpless king and queen that re-enter the 

 nest after " the flight" just mentioned, it seems now more 

 probable that these two are not in such a weakened con- 

 dition as described, but that they gradually become so 

 after remaining in the nest and being waited upon by the 

 workers. Generally speaking, Grassi considers that when 

 the vitality .of the queen is exhausted (which probably is 

 not the case for several years) one of the complemental 

 females (PI. 983, fig. 5), which are always kept for the 

 purpose, is substituted in her place, and thus the continu- 

 ation of the species is secured. 



The king when found in the royal chamber of the nest 

 is wingless (No. 987, T. bellicosus Smeath). PI. 988, 

 fig. i, represents the wingless king of a species of Termes 

 from Singapore. The queen found with the king is seen 

 in fig. 2, both natural size. 



The body of the queen becomes enormously distended 

 with eggs (PI. 983, fig. 4. T. lucifugus ; No. 989, queen 

 of T. bellicosus Smeath. ; No. 990, royal chamber of the 

 same). According to Sharp growth actually takes place 



1 Atti Accad. Gioenia, Catania, VI, 1893. 



2 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist,, XX, 1881, p. 118. 



