OBSERVATIONS ON SOME SOUTH AFRICAN TERMITES. 34T 



Text-fig. 4. 



The females came to rest first, alighting here and there- 

 upon grass stems — both long and short — and immediately 

 took up a position at the apex of the stem, with head down- 

 wards and wings closely folded. No particular inflation of 

 the abdomen could be noticed, but it was obvious that some' 

 sense other than sight alone guided the male insects. 



When a female alighted, a male was soon to be noticed 

 fluttering low over the herbage. 

 This flight was seen to be most 

 erratic, although generally round 

 and about the centre represented 

 by the female. Often the male 

 would fly close by and attempt 

 to alight upon an adjacent stem 

 — sometimes even doing so — but 

 only to fly off, low across the 

 grass tops for ten to twenty feet. 

 Ultimately the male manages to 

 locate the female, and settles be- 

 low her upon the same stem. He 

 at once crawls up beside her and 

 rapidly passes the mouth-parts 

 across the region between the 

 cerci and touching the cerci them- 

 selves. Almost simultaneously The mating of Termes vul- 

 with this action both insects dea- 

 late and the female begins to 

 crawl downwards, the male following. In this attitude the 

 insects progress until the female finds a site suitable for 

 burrowing; the male never more than just keeps in touch with 

 her. When burrowing commences the male takes his place 

 beside the female, and in loose soil the pair soon become lost 

 to sight. Pairs of this species did not thrive in the observa- 

 tion jars, but they constructed cells, and eggs were laid within 

 a feAv days. One pair with a few young May 25th, 1915. 



garis. Female 

 attitude, x f. 



in calling; 



Termes incertus Hagen. — It would appear that shortly 



