OBSERVATIONS ON SOME SOUTH AFRICAN TERMITES. 48o 



almost black ; clypeus with a faint median line ; superior 

 articulations of the mandibles appearing as dark red-brown 

 spots. Mandibles narrowly outlined and tipped with black. 

 Antennae pale reddish. Dorsal outline of head sub-circular ;. 

 front with a shallow impression at fork of Y-sutui'e. 



Antennae XVII-jointed, characterised by the insertion of 

 the broad joint IV between the small III and Y, otherwise as 

 with soldier. 



Thorax. — Pale yellow. Pronotum with two small dark 

 spots sub-marginal to cephalo-lateral cornei's. 



Legs pale yellow. 



Abdomen. — Pallid; translucent. 



Hab. — Natal j Mt. Edgecombe, Bellair; Pietermaritzburg. 

 Transvaal ; Pretoria. 



Termes incertus Hagev, PI. XXXIV, fig. 17. 



Termes incertus Hagen, Bericht d. Koigl. Preuss. Akad. d. Wiss._ 

 Berhn, p. 481, 1853 ; Haviland, Journ. Linn. Soc, xxvi, p. 388^ 

 1898. 



Soldier. 



Measurements. — Total length 3"6 to 5 mm. j head with 

 mandibles 1*4 to 5 mm. ; head-width 0'7 to 0"8 mm. 



Head. — Vertex pale brownish-yellow, frontal area with a 

 whitish-yellow sub-quadi-ate blotch which is usually more or 

 less divided by a darker median line and with its caudal 

 boundary irregularly W-shaped, the dark colour of the apical 

 points of the mandibles and the superior articulations in 

 sharp contrast with head. Sub-ovate, tapering to mandibles;, 

 somewhat hairy. Frontal area not impressed, somewhat 

 precipitous. Fontanelle absent. Eye-spots absent. 



Clypeus broad, front margin incurvate, sides curvate,, 

 diverging, more or less lobed. 



Labrum linguiform, elongate, almost lanceolate ; extending 

 over two-thirds to three-quarters the length of the mandibles;, 

 with an apical group of six conspicuous bristles and paired 

 sub-marginal groups of inconspicuous bristles. 



