334 CLAUDE FULLER. 



and i-apidly avoid obstacles placed suddenly in tlieiv way. 

 As might be expected, those which take to the wing after dark 

 are readily attracted by light. 



It seems almost certain that this phase in the history of a 

 termite is a succession of events which follow upon one another 

 in regular order, and, if the chain is broken at any point, it 

 remains so. This may be illustrated by several specific cases. 

 The night-flying Eutermes trinervius, if attracted by illu- 

 minating a white sheet, alights, and both sexes dealate after 

 meeting. If some are captured at once before meeting and 

 placed in a tube, they do not dealate. Some, so captured, 

 have been kept over four days alive in confinement, 

 and whilst a few dealated, or to be more correct lost their 

 Avings, no attempt at pairing was made. The same holds good 

 for the dusk-flying Termes incertus, but to a modified 

 extent only. Further, with these two species and three others 

 (undetermined) no attempt is made at burrowing if the sexes 

 are kept separate. In the case of two males confined together 

 it was noticed that one would frequently follow the other as if 

 it were a female. The stimulation induced them to burrow 

 together, but they soon desisted from doing so, although 

 stimulated thereto several times by one another ; ultimately 

 they died on the surface of the soil. Again, a number of pairs 

 of T. natal en sis were captured one evening and placed in a 

 small box ; in the morning it was found that the couples had lost 

 all regard for one another ; they were allowed to wander over 

 a table, but none again mated voluntarily. When, however, 

 the sexes were sorted out and the male placed in the position 

 it had been in when captured, the sequence of events was re- 

 established. In a further instance six pairs of Hodo ter- 

 mes transvaalensis Avere collected (December 30th, 1913) 

 from burrows which they were making at the time, the couples 

 were then placed in jars of soil, but were found to have lost 

 the instinct to start burrowing again. They wandered aimlessly 

 about, the males taking no notice of the females. When, 

 however, artificial bum'ows were made, and the pairs placed in 

 them side by side, the environment reacted upon them at once 



