144 A. M. Bottomle^ and C. Fuller 



The pellets on being examined microscopically were found to 

 be composed of vegetable matter and particles of soil closely 

 interwoven with a hyaline, branched mycelium. 



Sections cut through the spheres showed typical agaric for- 

 mation and differentiation. No chains of swollen cells such as 

 are described by Fetch for the spheres of E. microcarpum 

 were observed. 



Although direct proof may still be wanting, the circumstances 

 herein related point to a direct connection between the small agaric 

 and the white spheres since both are ** cultivated " by the termites. 

 As the comb of the fungus garden is specially treated (chewed 

 up) and, when removed from the nest, attended to by the insects, 

 it is perfectly clear that special provision is made for the fruiting 

 of the fungus with which the economy of the colony is so intimately 

 involved. 



To this it may be added that the deliberate removal of parts 

 of the fungus garden and the placing of such under the influence 

 of external conditions only takes place when circumstances are pro- 

 pitious. Thus, the incident at Klerksdorp took place after a week's 

 rain succeeding upon a prolonged drought. The time also coin- 

 cided with a general emergence in the country thereabouts of 

 winged imagos. With some species the exodus had been long 

 delayed. The moment was normal for Termes (O.) badius and 

 T. (O.) transvaalensis ; but, in addition to these species, the 

 winged imagos of Microtermes and Hodotermes also emerged, 

 species which ordinarily leave the nest in November and December. 



Literature cited. 



1781 Smeathman: Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. pp. 139-192. 



1905 Doflein: Verhandl. d. Deutsch. Zool. Gesellschaft pp. 

 140-9. 



1906 Fetch: Annals Roy. Bot. Gard. Feradenyia III, 2, pp. 

 185-270. 



1913 Sjostedt: Rev. Zool. Af. ii, 3, pp. 396, 431. 

 1913 Bequaert: Rev. Zool, Af. ii, 3. pp. 354-390. 

 1920 Fuller: Annals Natal Mus. IV., 2. pp. 235-295. 



See Addendum, page 223. 



