NOTES ON THE LIPE-HISTOKIES OF NATAL TERMITES. 1 19 



When a nest is opened, workers, soldiers and nymphs flee 

 into the surrounding soil, except those that are in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the queen-cell ; also, a few hide in the fungus-beds 

 where the larvte are. 



The large-headed workers and the small soldiers soon 

 return on the cessation of digging, and the former at once set 

 to work to repair the damage. They each bring a pellet of 

 earth in their mouth and moisten it with a saliva-like secre- 

 tion; proctodasal discharges are not used in the process of 

 building. The small-headed workers do not return. The 

 large-headed soldiers return after a time ; but more slowly 

 than the small soldiers. The large soldiers can make a 

 rattling sound by knocking their heads against the ground. 

 Both forms of soldiers shun the light. 



The workers carr}^ the pellets of earth between the lingua and 

 the labium with the maxillae at the sides. The mandibles are 

 scarcely used for carrying, but they are employed for placing 

 the pellets in position. 



It is chiefly the large-headed workers which are found 

 attacking and eating dead stumps of trees, a few small 

 workers accompanying them. If at all exposed ^Iiey build a 

 thick eai-thy crust over the places they are at work upon. 



In a fully-formed nest the estimated number of large 

 soldiers ,was 300 and of small 3000. The workers, larvae, and 

 the iniagos (at certain seasons) are very numerous. The 

 small-headed workers seem more numerous than the large 

 workers. The total number of workers was estimated at 

 30,000. 



Several nests have been dequeened, and on subsequent 

 examination after several months only in one inS'tance was a 

 new queen and king discovered. The nest was always found 

 to have beea partially repaired^ and sometimes workers and 

 soldiers still inhabited it, but at other times it was desei-ted. 

 When workers were found they generally exhibited a peculiar 

 white ajjpearance of the abdomen, due to the condition 

 of the fat-bodies, perhaps arising from the fact that there 

 was no queen to feed. 







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