rRKSIDKNTIAL AUDRi:SS — ^SECTlON D. lOI 



may be mentioned that the greatly swollen Glyptus larva? were 

 at first taken to be young queen termites by the discoverer. 

 Nevertheless, it may be surmised that the presence of young 

 queens outside a (lueen-cell would be likely to arouse enquiry 

 on the part of the termite-community. Similar remarks would 

 apply to the fat dipterous larv?e already mentioned. In these 

 larvje, the bloated condition of the body is chiefly due to the 

 hypertrophy of the fat-tissue and the formation of much blood. 

 It is to be supposed that the fluids of the blood exude either 

 through special organs or from the general surface of the body 

 and are absorbed by the termites. 



(3) In other termitophiles, and especially in the beetles 

 and in the imago Termitoxoiia, the swelling of the abdomen is 

 due to the hypertrophy of the fat-issue, generative organs and 

 mesenteron. The ovaries and oviduct may be of exceptional 

 size, owing to the fact that the eggs tend to be very large, and 

 are provided with much yolk, or viviparous young may be pro- 

 duced. The reason for this is probably to be sought in the 

 advantage which the young would possess in starting their life 

 in the community in a well-developed condition. The hyper- 

 trophy of the fat-tissue is doubtless associated with the exuda- 

 tion of stimulating fluids much liked by the termites, and thus 

 stifling any hostility which might otherwise be displayed towards 

 the termitophiles. 



In the case of Paracorotoca the male is not nutch smaller 

 than the female, and the testes are greatly hypertrophied. The 

 amount of semen that can be produced must be excessively 

 greater than is necessary, for the spermatheca of the female is 

 quite small. It is difficult to see how the species can obtain any 

 advantage from the huge size of the testes, for the amount of 

 spermatozoa that could be produced would be sufficient to 

 fertilize an indefinite number of females. The advantage of 

 an enlarged ovary can be recognized, and it would appear that 

 the stimulus (or hormone) for the excessive growth of the 

 gonad in the female is incidentally transmitted to the male. 



(4) In some termitophiles the physogastrism is due almost 

 entirely to the enormous development of the sexual glands. For 

 example, in Jacobsonclla (Plate 10, B). the imago in a non- 

 breeding condition is only slightly physogastric. but Silvestri 

 figures a gravid female in which the abdomen is globular and 

 very greatly distended. 



(5) With reference to the food of the termitophiles it 

 would seem certain, judging from the development of the man- 

 dibles, that the majority, at any rate occasionally, suck the juices 

 of young termites. From analogy with the myrmecophiles it 

 is quite probable that, in addition, they are fed with saliva by 

 the termite workers. In this case the relatively innutritions diet 

 would account for the large size of the mesenteron. In the 

 gut of Paracorotoca and Terniitomimus I have found no solid 

 matter whatever, and the oesophagus is only adapted for suck- 



