2 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 12. NiO 15. 



there are quite a number of nests, mostly belonging to the 

 hitherto iindescribed species. 



The most important diseoveries are, in my mind, two 

 new and interesting, very distinct, species of the genus Siolo- 

 termes, hitherto known in one species from Tasmania and 

 another from New Zealand. Six new Galotermes species ha ve 

 been added to those previously known, all coming from the 

 rain forests. Interesting also is the discovery of an Austral- 

 ian representative of the newly established genus Par- 

 rhinotermes Holmgr. hitherto represented by three species in 

 the Indian region. There are no less than 11 new Eutermes 

 species, 8 new Hamitermes species, and finally 6 new Miro- 

 termes species. Also the genus Microcerotermes has been 

 increased by two new forms. 



The material has enabled me to make some elder hith- 

 erto incompletely described species more completely known 

 by describing unknown stages, etc. A special study was made 

 of the nests in the Cape York Peninsula, which resulted in 

 the discovery of the the peculiar habit of burying the dead 

 on special grave-fields. A new explanation of the peculiar 

 external appearance of the so called »magnetic nests» is also 

 offered. In the last chapter a general view of the Austral- 

 ian termite fauna is given, with a complete list of the hith- 

 erto known species, their different stages, nests and geo- 

 graphical distribution. 



Our present knowledge of the Australian termites is 

 chiefly due to Mr. W. Froggatt's work »Australian Termi- 

 tidse», Part I — III, 1895 — 1897 (Proc. Linn. soc). It represents 

 the first serious attempt to give a summarized view of 

 the Australian numbers of the orders Isoptera. Before that 

 titne only some old species had been described by Brauer, 

 Hagen and Walker. No less than 25 new species were made 

 known by Froggatt. It is very regrettable, however, that 

 many of his new species are too shortly or too generally de- 

 scribed and the illustrations not accurate enough to allow of 

 a sure identification. We must, however, give Froggatt due 

 credit for the pioneer-work, carried out by him within this 

 group of insects at that ti me very little known. 



The two latest workers on Australian termites are SiL- 

 westri and Holmgren. In his work »Isoptera, Die Fauna 

 Siidwest-Australiens», Bd II, Lieferung 17, 1909, Silwestri 



