122 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 22, XO. 6, JUNE, IQ2O 



the frost line in the ground; in the prairie regions, during hot, 

 dry weather when the soil is caked and cracked, they are far 

 below ground. 



During warm summer weather, all of these reproductive forms, 

 of species of Reticulitermes in eastern United States, are usually 

 within the more solid wood of infested trees, logs and stumps, but, 

 strange to say, they are often in the outer layers of wood. 



The burrows in the vicinity of the cell in which large mature 

 queens of species of Reticulitermes are present are of larger diameter 

 than usual; these have been used as passageways by the queen 

 in coming up from the ground. A large number of eggs or re- 

 cently hatched young are usually present in the nest in the vicin- 

 ity of the reproductive forms. 



In the case of the non-woodboring subterranean species, the 

 reproductive forms are usually deep below the surface of the 

 ground, especially during warm, dry weather. Sometimes they 

 are found at a lesser depth in the earth or under stones. In winter 

 they are in the ground below the frost line. 



Due to the huge size of normal first form termite queens as com- 

 pared with the workers and soldiers and the enormous egg-laying 

 capacity of the tropical species, there has always been an unusual 

 interest displayed in these forms. In many tropical termites the 

 large queen is enclosed in a permanent centrally located cell, is 

 unable to move and is a mere egg-laying machine. Certain sav- 

 age peoples search for these large queens (mere large sacks of 

 eggs) for food; they are considered to be quite a delicacy. 



It was formerly believed that, since the queen mother was the 

 source of the colony life, if she were destroyed the colony would be 

 exterminated. This, of course, has been disproved by more recent 

 investigations which have revealed the existence of several other 

 reproductive forms. Young of these other reproductive forms 

 may be among the offspring and continue to populate the colony. 

 Study of the various types of reproductive forms found in the 

 same species of termite and their life cycle has been necessary in 

 order to determine measures of preventing damage by these numer- 

 ous and widespread insects. Hence any investigations of repro- 

 ductive forms are of not only biological but also economic im- 

 portance. 



' 'A nthropomorph isms. ' ' 



The colony life of the so-called "social insects," i. e., the ants, 

 termites, bees and wasps, has always excited interest. The care 

 of the brood and the queen by the workers and the alarm man- 

 ifested by the workers and soldiers of termites when the colony 

 is broken into and the brood or queen are disturbed have called 



