522 AUSTRALIAN TEHMITID.K, 



and aj^ical edges forming a semicircle. Legs stout, the tip of the- 

 tiljise with three or four spines; tarsi with plantula. Wings large, 

 narrow, twice or thrice as long as the body; subcostal narrow, 

 widening out towards the tip and connected to costal by five or 

 six veins, irregular in number, forming a network between the 

 two; median nervure slender, running through the middle of the 

 Aving, with irregular cross veinlets, the whole of the outer portion 

 of wing showing an irregular network : scapular shield as long 

 as meso thorax in the fore pair, and about half the length of 

 metathorax in the hind pair. Abdomen small, a little wider 

 than the thorax; cerci stout, short, and jointed. 



Soldiers short and stout. Head large, cylindrical, flattened in 

 front and rugged or truncated before the jaws, which are stout and 

 strong, about one-third the length of head, almost straight, flattened 

 towards tips, close at the base, with short stout teeth, irregular 

 on opposite jaws; labrum small, short, and transverse or quad- 

 rangular. 



These termites do not construct regularly formed nests, but 

 live in small communities in logs, timber, beams of houses or 

 under stones; many nests contain under a hundred individuals, 

 chiefly workers or immature nymphs, and sometimes only half a 

 dozen soldiers, though in others these are more numerous. I 

 have never found a queen among any community of the genus. 



Calotermes has a pretty wide distribution, ten species being 

 described from America and the West Indies, one from Euroj^e 

 and the north of Africa, four from Australia and Tasmania, one 

 each from Madiera and the Isle of France, and three from 

 Europe known only as fossils. 



There are probably many species of this genus to be found, but 

 from their retiring habits they are seldom met with unless closely 

 looked for. 



Calotermes convexus, Walk. 



Termes cojivexics, Walker, Brit. Mus. Cat. Neuroptera, p. 527; 

 Hagen, Mon. Linna^a, xii. p. 45. 



Ferruginous; lower surface, abdomen, antenntB, and feet fuhous, 

 smooth and shining; wings subfuscous. Length of body 1| lines.. 



