142 A. M. Boiiomky and C. Fuller 



The same author discusses at length the X^larias, the mycelium 

 of which he found to be always present in the comb. At the 

 close of his paper Fetch gives an account of a small agaric, 

 Entoloma micro carp um. He speaks of this as having no con- 

 nection wdth termite nests (p. 25 1 ) although he found it *' in 

 profusion on the side of a mound of earth, part of which was 

 occupied by a termite nest ". Still, a possible connection of thi^ 

 fungus with those cultivated by termites was strongly suspected 

 by Fetch and he discusses many points of similarity between 

 the Entoloma and the white spheres of the fungus garden. From 

 his summary we quote the two following sections: 



"17. A Ceylon agaric Entoloma microcarpum^ possesses a 

 mycelium composed of spheres of swollen cells: the 

 details of these spheres resemble the parts of the ter- 

 mite spheres, but are not so highly developed." 

 1 9. The available evidence appears to show that tKe 

 ' spheres ' are part of the mycelium of the Volvaria, but 

 it has not been possible to connect these forms ex- 

 perimentally." 

 Several years ago the remains of a bed of very small agarics 

 was found overlying the nest of Termes vulgaris Hav. at Pie- 

 termaritzburg, Natal, by one of the writers (C.F.) Later two 

 correspondents of the Department of Agriculture remarked upon 

 the amount of earth-like material being brought up and placed 

 upon the floors of their houses by white ants and upon the sub- 

 sequent growth thereon of small mushrooms. One correspondent 

 sent examples of the mushrooms and termites. The latter were 

 identified as Termes (Odontotermes) transvaalensis Sjost., the 

 former were very small dried agarics exactly resembling those 

 figured by Bequaert (1913). 



Quite recently when at Klerksdorp, Transvaal, one of the 

 writers (C.F.) observed a flagged stoep being carpeted with 

 more less finely triturated fungus comb from its nest below 

 the stones by Termes (Odontotermes) badius Hav. This was 

 brought up through very small openings and spread about even- 

 ly over the surface to form a canopy beneath which many wor- 

 kers and soldiers moved about. The pellets were loosely webbed 



