OBSEHVATIONS ON SOME SOUTH AFRICAN TEKMITES. 855 



touched falls over and ci-umbles readily to pieces. Rain and 

 wind both rapidly distribute these heaps of soil. 



A hive of H. havilandi was discovered under rather 

 peculiar circumstances at Weenen in Natal. Unfortunately 

 when inspected nothing but the cavity and some debris, from 

 which dead termites Avere removed, was found. This occvirred 

 in the wall of an office in the village, and all the information 

 obtainable was that one day a slab of plaster fell away, and a 

 mass containing many termites and pieces of grass fell out on 

 to the floor. The cavity was about 2 ft. 6 in. from the ground, 

 and 15 in. in both diameters. The wall was built of burned 

 brick ; but since the bricks lining the cavity were only 

 grooved, so as to form brackets for the shelving, one cannot 

 help suspecting that the spot in the wall chosen by the 

 termites was a part which had been filled with some sun-dried 

 bricks. Hodotermes havilandi is a very familiar insect 

 in and about the village of Weenen ; because of this, it is 

 interesting to add that the Chairman of the Village Board — in 

 whose office the event here related happened — had never seen 

 the insects feeding nearer to the hive than 100 yds. off. He 

 had, however, been long familiar with the fact that they 

 were tunnelling in the plaster of the walls of his office. 



H. havilandi appears to have a very definite life-zone in 

 Natal, being restricted to the warm and dry river valleys of 

 the midlands. 



The method of harvesting of all our Hodotermes is 

 uniform with that of Eutermes trinervius. The accumu- 

 lation of provender outside the bun-ow entrances has a double 

 purpose — it prevents congestion of the tunnels and allows 

 any green parts to dry. Doubtless also its storage in pockets 

 before being carried into the main hive is to insure sufficient 

 dryness so as to avoid the growth of mildew. 



Under date of January 12th, 1915, my colleague, J. C. 

 Faure, entomologist at Bloemfontein, sent to me specimens of 

 H. transvaalensis with the following notes. 



" Bloemfonteiu, Deceml)er 7th. 1914, 6 p.m. Heavy rains had fallen 

 a few days previously. Near the Sewage Farm orchard I was attracted 



