OBSERVATIONS ON TERMITES IN JAMAICA 213 



each and rested in a large zinc pan of water on a firm wall of 

 stone and cement from the ground, so that it seemed likely that 

 the concussion of the air came to the termites directly and not 

 as a tremor of the stones they were clustered on. The same 

 precipitate flight of the multitude of termites from these stones 

 to the nest along the bridge was brought about by dropping a 

 board upon the concrete floor with a loud crash. Even the 

 clapping of hands which probably shook the stone foundation 

 but imperceptibly served to drive the termites back to the 

 nest. At first many termites ran into rather complex arcades 

 built over the food rather than direct to the nest. The entire 

 multitude could thus be driven completely into the nest in a 

 few minutes. Attempts to influence the termites by blowing 

 horns of various pitches near them failed though considerable 

 disturbance of the air was produced. 



That the concussions which affected them might be received 

 by special organs is shown by the existence of a special organ 

 in each of the six legs of the worker and the soldier; an organ 

 comparable to the so called ear of the grasshopper. j 



Again, though the workers and soldiers have no eyes they 

 respond to light by keeping away from it as a rule. When a 

 hundred or so were kept in a finger bowl with moist filterpaper 

 on the bottom and sides the termites collected after long migra- 

 tions over the entire paper, in a cluster on the side toward the 

 light where they were shielded from the light by the thickness 

 of the paper. When kept in a long rectangular glass some 6x 

 4x12 inches in diameter, they always came to rest in a cluster 

 on the bottom of the glass along the edge furthest away from 

 the light (there being moist filter paper only upon the bottom 

 of the dish). If then the dish was covered half by glass of one 

 color and half by glass of another color the termites came to 

 rest under one color or the other or in two clusters, one under 

 each color. When the colors used were blue and green, or blue 

 and yellow, or green and yellow, or green and red or yellow and 

 red no constant preference was seen; but when the colors were 

 blue and red the termites collected under the red only. It thus 

 seems probable that termites respond difterently to wave lengths 

 of different length. The winged forms in the nest have eyes 

 and as far as noticed always sought to run into holes or into 

 the shadow of some object. But in a dark storm, some at 4 



