black termite of ceylon. 397 



The Nest. 



The black hanging labyrinthine mass, which is usually 

 regarded as the nest of the black termite, has really no claim 

 to that title, suice it is not made use of by the insects cither 

 as a habitation or a repository for food, eggs, or larva. 

 The real nest occupies a cavity in the branch or stem from 

 which the black mass hangs. In all the nests examined this 

 cavity has been continuous, and has contained a single 

 comb ; in that respect the nest differs from those of the 

 mound-building species of Ceylon, smce the latter contain 

 numerous cavities each of which holds one, or sometimes 

 two, combs. 



The comb (Plates VIII. and XIV.) is blackish-brown when 

 fresh, but becomes darker when dry. It is composed of thin 

 foliated plat€s, bent and distorted in aU directions, but with 

 some approach to a concentric arrangement. These plates are 

 united to one another irregularly, so that the whole forms a 

 coarse sponge-like mass with comparatively wide passages, 

 separated by smooth, thin walls about 0*25-0 "3 mm. thick. 

 The substance of the comb when first exposed is moist and 

 somewhat flexible, but it becomes brittle when dry. The comb 

 differs from that of the mound-building termites in its colour, 

 more open structure, and thmner walls. In the case of the 

 latter the comb is bro\^Ti, and the passages are smaller and 

 more regular. Further, in the case of the mound d\\ellers 

 the individual pellets of excrement, of which the comb is 

 built, can be clearly distmguished, since they make the 

 surface rough with minute close-set swellings ; but though 

 the comb of the black termite is also built of excrement, its 

 surface is smooth. This difference is due to the fact that 

 the black termites, when buildmg the comb, make use of 

 their excrement in a more liquid form than the mound- 

 building species. 



Examination under the microscope shows that the substance 

 of the comb consists of brown amorphous masses, with frag- 

 ments of the epidermis of various plants, a few pieces of black 

 fungus hyphse and a few fungus spores, and numerous acicular 

 and cubical crystals. The same mixture is found also in the 

 stomachs of the workers and soldiers. On treatment with 



