299 



TER^IITES AND WOOD PRESERVING. 



(From Tropical Life for September.) 



The depredations of Termites and the means of combating 

 them constitute an ever-present problem to planters in the trop- 

 ical zone; one also which occupies a great deal of the attention 

 of the scientists whose lifework is the study of tropical condi- 

 tions in agriculture and Iwgiene. The most interesting contri- 

 bution to our knowledge on this important subject w^iich has 

 appeared for some time is an article in the July issue of the Ag- 

 ricultural Journal of India by Mr. T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R. N., 

 F. E. S.. F. Z. S., Entomologist to the Government of Madras. 



]\Ir. Fletcher premises his article by taking exception to the 

 popular term "White Ant" in speaking of Termites, for, as he 

 says, the "White Ant" is not an ant at all, and not necessarily 

 white. He then proceeds to show that in the entomological 

 sense Termites belong to quite a different order to true ants, and 

 have very little in common therewith, except in their social habits 

 and caste system. The steps by which knowledge is gained of the 

 differentiation of the very large number of species of this insect, 

 their geographical location, and peculiar habits and activities 

 may be of little interest to the practical planter ; but the sum- 

 marized results of such patient investigation are invaluable in 

 assisting him to safeguard his property, whether it be growing 

 crops or wooden structures of any description that are exposed to 

 attack. 



Perhaps the most remarkable information in I\Ir. Fletcher's 

 interesting article is that relating to the extraordinary reproduc- 

 tive power of Termites, of which the following may be quoted: 



"A female of Termes Sp. ,taken from a mound at Toshanga- 

 bad and placed under as natural conditions as possible, was found 

 to have laid 359 eggs in fifteen minutes, a rate of oviposition 

 which works out roughly at 34,000 per day." 



Whilst the longevity of the female is quite unknown, it is 

 suggested as being probably not less than five years, and possibly 

 extending to more than double that time. Considering these 

 points, it is unquestionable that, notwithstanding the heavy de- 

 pletion of the ranks by natural enemies, the rate of increase is 

 such as to create a serious menace in cultivated or commercial 

 and shipping areas unless adequate means of protection are 

 ■ adopted. The destructive activity of the species T. gcstroi on 

 the rubber estates of the Malay Peninsula is a striking example 

 of this. 



Mr. Fletcher's article is accompanied by a fine colored plate 

 illustrating a full-grown queen and workers at different stages. 



The safeguarding of growing crops from Termite attacks is, 

 of course, a wide subject in itself, and is being exhaustively 

 dealt with in various parts of the world, according to the special 



