50 Claude Fuller 



Sjcistedt has thrown out the suggestion that, since he found a 

 preserved soldier with a piece of grass stem in its jaws, Psammo- 

 lermes harvests as does Hodoiermes. This is not so and, further, 

 one never sees a soldier of the sub-genus Macrohodotermes outside 

 of a burrow. 



Although I have never had the opportunity of studying the 

 biology of Psammotermes my correspondents on the Orange River 

 have been very good in trying to clear up this matter for me and 

 my colleague, Mr. F. Thomsen, endeavoured to locate the nest 

 definitely when in Little Namaqualand. The species feeds upon 

 dry grass haulms and upon wood. On the grass it feeds under 

 a canopy of clay and attacks wood just ar do fungus growers. It 

 fills up the parts removed with sand-particles firmly cemented toge- 

 ther. It has been taken injuring the wood of houses, vineyards, 

 and fencing posts, being particularly destructive to the last men- 

 tioned. Pieces of damaged posts are before me, and it is clear 

 that in the parts replaced by termite cement nest conditions obtain, 

 the cells in the cement being found crowded with imagos, soldiers, 

 workers and half-grown forms. 



