362 CLAUDE FULLER, 



Termes badiiis. A week previously the country had been 

 subjected to a torrential downpour of rain, and because of this 

 all evidence of old Termite work had been washed away, and 

 Avhat Avas present was quite recent. Beneath one group of 

 trees a colony of badius had in the intervening period 

 covered its nest-site, to a depth of 4 to 6 in., with a fresh 

 layer of earth over an area of 100 square feet. No evidence 

 whatever of the presence of Termes natalensis was found, 

 but T. latericius abounded. The nests of this species were 

 only occasionally found in the tree-covered nest-sites, but in 

 the intermediate spaces they Avere quite numerous, and almost 

 invariably indicated by chimneys only, the absence of mounds 

 being quite conspicuous. 



The very general abundance of T. badius and latericius 

 over the whole area examined made the restriction of the 

 series of nests of T. water bergi to a small area surrounding 

 a natural spring quite remarkable. On account of the water 

 the tree clumps in which they were found Avere larger and 

 denser than those further afield. This series of nests beino- 

 found somcAvhat late in the inspection, time and labour did 

 not permit me to make a full investigation of the nesting 

 habits of the species, and only one mound of medium size, 

 which happened to lie conveniently to one side upon a smaller 

 nest-site some 20 ft. in diameter, AA^as explored. Here a nest- 

 cavity AA^as disclosed, Avhich, from the absence of the queen- 

 cell and eggs, I can only conclude Avas but a part of the 

 Avhole nest. An adjacent nest-site Avas over 200 ft. in length 

 and about 60 ft. across. It Avas overgroAvn AA'ith many large 

 trees and a thicket of undergroAvth into AAdiich one could 

 scarcely penetrate. Throughout it, hoAA^ever, Avere many 

 Aveathered mounds of earth Avhich had been throAvn up by this 

 species. Nearly all Avere 2 to 4 ft. higher than the surrounding 

 soil (itself elevated above the natural le\'el), and the largest 

 mound Avas 15 to 20 ft. across. 



The mounds of T. Avaterbergi are not masonry mounds, 

 although they have that appearance Avhen beaten doAvn by 

 rain. They are simply deposits of loose earth particles Avhich 



