wards the strangulation ; the front edge has a small tooth or projection 

 near its centre, above and below which the margin is curved inwards, the 

 upper curve projecting slightly over the lower; snout nearly cylindrical, 

 being a little smaller near the middle and rather abruptly pointed ; eyes 

 small, convex, placed above the base of the antennae near the anterior mar- 

 gin of the head ; thorax, abdomen and legs similar to those of the worker. 

 Size, i--i smaller than the worker, the snout being about i of the entire 

 length of the head. 



It was about sunset on the 22nd of October 1860, when I first saw this 

 species, in San Saba County, Texas, in a field where both worker and na- 

 suti were carrying home seeds of grasses and weeds. They marched in 

 dense columns along pathways leading to a hole near the base of a stump, 

 into which they entered. Others were marching outward in search of 

 provendor. The nasuti are about one-fourth to one-fifth of the entire com- 

 munity. They dwell in the ground where they have rooms, seldom more 

 than one to two inches long, connected by tunnels. They march with 

 heads erect and thrown backwards over the thorax, carrying their loads 

 with their mandibles. 



Subsequently, while engaged in the Greological Survey of that and the 

 adjoining Counties, I met them frequently. After rains — which are of 

 rare occurrence in that climate — they make semicyliudrical tubes which 

 lie on the surface of the ground to the length of from three to six inches. 

 These arched ways sometimes intersect each other, being connected with 

 chambers below. They rarely work by day above the surface, and never 

 in the bright sunshine. In June 1861, in Llano County, I saw them car- 

 rying home dry segments of post-oak leaves of the preceding years growth. 

 Here again the nasuti worked in common with the rest of the tribe. They 

 must have preferred these dry leaves, because green leaves and grass were 

 abundant on every side. They are all quite active, moving faster than 

 any species of Termites which I have seen. 



What is the use of the snout of the nasuti ? It may be used to exca- 

 vate dirt, but does not seem to be well adapted for battle as it is not of 

 sufi&cient sharpness to penetrate other insects easily, nor does the size of 

 the nasuti indicate that they were made for soldiers, but it is probable that 

 both forms unite for the defence of the whole tribe, and likewise labour 

 in common for its support. 



Termes tubtformanh n. sp. — Head and thorax pale yellow; legs 

 white ; abdomen above dirty white with lighter and darker shades, its sides 



