THE TERMITES 



Much of the food which termites eat does not come 

 directly from outside the nest but has already been partly 

 assimilated or even secreted by other members of the colony. 

 As already noted, in some species it is only the workers 

 which feed on unprepared foods, such as wood-fragments. 

 Treated food is of three kinds. Thoroughly chewed and 

 probably partially digested material may be received from 

 the mouth. This source also provides saliva, which is the 

 richest and most thoroughly prepared food. Finally, termites 

 can pass two types of faeces ; one is relatively dry and is 

 thoroughly digested, waste material. It is thrown away or 

 built into the nest. The other consists of much more liquid 

 material which is really food which has passed through the 

 intestine without having all nutritive substances extracted 

 from it. It contains large numbers of the intestinal protozoa 

 in those termites which are infected. Generally, in a well- 

 established colony, the youngest brood are given only 

 prepared food, and soldiers are incapable of feeding them- 

 selves. The royal couple, particularly the queen, are fed 

 continuously on saliva. At the other end of the queen" 

 an almost continuous stream of eggs and also of certain 

 liquid excretions is continuously removed by bands of 

 workers. 



Termites are continually exchanging food with one another 

 and also licking one another's bodies, probably to ensure 

 cleanliness. It is supposed that the mutual interest which 

 such behaviour engenders is an important link in the social 

 organisation. 



TERMITES AS PESTS 



The wood-feeding habits of termites are the cause of very 

 serious losses, chiefly in tropical countries. In Queensland 

 Mastotermes makes it impossible to construct sheep-pens 



m 177 



