BY WALTER W. FROGGATT. 



751 



antenn?e 15-jointed, more moniliform than in the soldier; clypeus 

 small, broadest in the centre, and tapering at the extremities, 

 with a very distinct transverse median suture, and a brown spot 

 on either side; labrum small, rounded in front; jaws showing only 

 a curious chisel-shaped cutting edge without any angular teeth. 

 Prothorax small, truncate in front, rather angular on the sides, 

 rounded behind. Abdomen large, broad, oval. 



Hab — Palmerston, Port Darwin, IST.T. (from the nest; Mr. N. 

 Holtze). 



The specimens described were obtained from some of the largest 

 " column ant hills " about ten miles inland from Palmerston by 

 Mr. JST. Holtze, but whether these are the same as those found in 

 North Queensland I am as yet unable to say. Measurements 

 from photos of nests taken by Mr. Holtze give them a height of 

 about 18 feet, columnar in form, about four feet in diameter at 

 the base, swelling out a few feet above, and then running up with 

 a uniform width to the irregular pointed summit, and the sides 

 ribbed with projecting buttresses. The nests are generally (if not 

 always) in the first instance built up a dead tree trunk, which is 

 gi-adually enclosed and coated with earth, while the wood is 

 devoui-ed and replaced with hard granulated woody substance. 



Both the soldiers and workers are somewhat like those of 

 Eutermes fnmipennis, but the heads of both are much darker. I 

 have been unable to obtain the winged insects, though Mr. Holtze 

 has visited the nests several times on my behalf. I have some 

 winged forms of a Eutermes taken round the lamps at night at 

 Palmerston, which may be this species, but as they have not l)een 

 identified I am holding them over. 



Eutermes hastilis, n.sp. 

 (Plate xx.w., fig. 7.) 

 Dorsal surface dark brown, ventral surface and legs lighter 

 coloured, antennae light brown, with the apex of each segment 

 pale yellow; front of the head, sides of the body, and apex of the 

 segments of the legs and tai'sal joints dull white; wings pale 

 fuscous, nervures l)rown, thickly cohered with light brownish 

 hairs. Length to tip of wings 6, to tip of body 4 lines. 



