OBSERVATIONS ON SOME SOUTH AFRICAN TERMITES. 491 



I. huuiilis spreads far afield and, as it progresses, annihi- 

 lates the termite colonies in the country' it invades. 



The nest of E. has tat us is very much like that of E. 

 trinervius, and is constructed of earth particles; the cellular 

 spaces are, however, smaller, and no provisions are stored in 

 the nest. The queen is active and deposits her eggs in various 

 parts of the nest. 



Eutermes trinervius (Ramhur). PI. XXXIII, fig. 4. 

 Termes trinervius Bamhio; Hist. Nat Neuvopt., p. 308, 1842. 



Ma.jor Nasutlt. 

 Measurements. — Total length 5 to 5'5 mm.; head with 

 rostrum, 2'3 to 2"5 mm. ; head-width 1"5 mm. 



Text-fig. IB. 



Baseline of Gena 



Head. — Mahogany-red or aurantiaceous ; very highly 

 polished ; rostrum dark brown to black from base or from 

 half its length to its apex. Occipital view balloon-like, out- 

 line almost circular. Dorsal view turbinate, vertex sometimes 

 with a shallow median depression. Ventral surface flat. 

 Viewed in profile the epicranium is bombous, short, thick ; 

 the genae faintly incurvate, almost straight ; the cephalic 

 margin below the rostrum oblique ; the rostrum is attenuated, 

 cylindrical, its apex perforated, and with its long axis parallel 

 to the base-line of the genae ; from the apex of the rostrum to 

 its oblic(ue base (e.g. a point above the antennal foveolae) it 

 is shorter than the rest of the head-length, sometimes as much 

 as 5 to 6. The superior margin of the apex of the rostrum 



VOL. 8, PART 2. 33 



