418 AUSTRALIAN TERMITlD.f:, 



At the present time three species of termites are found in 

 Europe, and though they are chiefly distributed along the coast 

 of the Mediterranean and the warmer portions of Southern 

 Europe, one species has been recorded from as far north as 

 Odessa, Russia, where it is said to have done a considerable 

 amount of damage. Of the three species now acclimatised in 

 Southern Europe, only one is said to be indigenous, Termes 

 lucifugus, which was known to exist in France at a very early 

 date, though it was not until 1853 that it was reported to have 

 committed any noticeable depredations."*^ Early in this year they 

 appeared everywhere as a regular plague in the city of Rochelle, 

 and not content with eating up the wood, found their way into 

 the city archives and destroyed many of the State documents. 



This species now ranges over the whole of the southern pro- 

 vinces of France, through the Spanish Peninsula, Italy, Sicily, 

 Sardinia, the Morea, Turkey, Cypress, Egypt and Madeira. 



A good deal has been written about this species, the latest 

 being Professor Grassi and Dr. Sandias' splendid Monograph on 

 the termites of Catania,! containing an exhaustive account of this 

 species. 



The second species, T. flavicollis, Fab., was originally a North 

 African termite found at Barbary and Algiers, from whence it 

 has made its way along the European side of the Mediterranean, 

 being found in most of the localities infested by the previous 

 species. 



The third, T. JIavipes, is the common North American species, 

 which has been introduced into Europe, probably in the first 

 instance with logs of timber, and has been discovered as far east 

 as the Bath House of Schoenbruin at Vienna. 



Many instances have been recorded of small colonies of 

 termites having been introduced into botanical gardens and hot 



* A. de Quatrefages. Notes on the Termites of Rochelle. Ann. Sci, 

 Nat. (8e s^r.) Zool. xx. 1853. pp. 16-21. 



t Prof. B. Grassi and Dr. A. Sandias. Atti dell' Accademia Gioenia 

 di Sc. Nat. in Catania. Ser. 4, Vol. vi. 1894. 



