262 PETCH : THE FUNGI 



13. Uii'i continued rain Xylaria nigripes grows from 

 deserted termite nests. 



14. Other fungi which grow on combs removed from the 

 nest include Mucor. Thamnidium, Cephalosporium, Peziza. 

 4a these are not found in the nest, though some of them are 

 capable of development underground, it is probable that the 

 termites " weed out " foreign fungi from the cultivation of 

 the comb. The comb material is probably sterilized by its 

 passage through the alimentary canal. 



15. That the spheres form the food of the termites is 

 probable, as in the case of the leaf -cutting ants : neither 

 case can be considered definitely proved. Termes redemanni 

 and T . obscuriceps undoubtedly prefer fungi, oi wood which has 

 been attacked by fungi. 



16. Whether a difference in food causes the differentiation 

 of termites into workers, soldiers, and sexed insects is nol 

 decided. » 



17. A Ceylon agaric, Entoloma microcarpum, possesses a 

 mycelium composed of spheres of swollen cells : the details 

 of these spheres resemble the parts of the termite spheres, but 

 are not so highly developed. 



18. It is most probable thai the " spheres " in the termite 

 comb and the " kohlrabihaufchen " of the leaf-cutting ants 

 investigated by Moller are parts of a normal mycelium, and 

 that their shape is modified by the insects only in a very 

 Blight degree, if at all. 



19. The available evidence appears to show that the 

 " spheres " are part of the mycelium of the Volvaria, but it 

 has not been possible to conned these forms experi- 

 mentally. 



Mv thanks are especially due bo Mr. E. E. Qreen for the 

 determination of the species <>f termite, assistance in the 

 ■i < t ii .i I investigation of the nests and in the entomological 

 details of the paper, and valuable criticism of the whole: 

 and also to Mr. II. F. Macmillan for the photographs 

 reprodw ed on Plates I X . and \ 



