348 CLAUDE FULLER. 



tinually, rapidly uplifting and lowering tlie whole of the 

 abdomen, and raising the wings in unison. Presently a male 

 would run in under the uplifted abdomen and, raising his 

 head to its apex, seize it with all six feet ; then, as the female 

 pressed dow nward, he would dealate and tumble beneath her. 

 This association achieved, the female walked with half -spread 

 wings to the edge of the wet field, dragging the tiglitly 

 clinging male with her. From here she took to flight, and, 

 obviously burdened, soon settled down to earth. Immediately 

 on touching the earth, the male-encumbered females dealated .; 

 during the action the male released his hold on the ventral 

 sui'face and climbed upon the back of his mate, placing the 

 head upon the fifth or sixth abdominal segment and clasping 

 with both fore and mid-legs ; only the hindmost pair was 

 disengaged for walking. It appeared that upon some occa- 

 sions the male did not dealate on clasping the female, as a 

 winged pair was noticed on the wing ; the male attached as 

 Haviland describes in the case ofbilobatus. This pair fell 

 into a rain-pool, and on touching the water the female dealated. 

 When lifted out the male relinquished his embrace and flew 

 away. 



The adults were noticed to emerge from small round aper- 

 tures leading from cavities just below the soil. This they 

 did in a manner very similar to that of incertus, except 

 that never more than forty to fifty workers formed the sur- 

 rounding mat. In the assembly-cavities many w^orkers and ■ 

 a few soldiers were seen hastening in and out amongst the 

 crowded winged forms. 



It may be said, with no small degree of certainty, that all 

 imago termites are at first positively hydrotaxic, and a 

 captured pair of this species displayed the symptom to a 

 remarkable degree. They were placed upon a tray of diy 

 soil and wandered disconsolately over its surface. When a 

 few drops of water were applied to one spot they soon found 

 it ; they wandered about for ten minutes, but returned to the 

 small moist area and there buried themselves. They remained 

 in the moistened area and burrowed about in it for twenty-four 



