82 Obituary Notice 



Another paper in 1919 discussed the phylogeny of the termite castes 

 and outlined breeding experiments which were in progress at the time of 

 her death. It was hoped to work out a genetic formula for termites. 



These papers were followed by several others on the development of 

 the castes and reproductive forms of species of many genera of termites. 



Work on the development of the castes of the honey bee had been 

 planned and material fixed ready to section. It is to be regretted that 

 ill-health and other duties interfered. Miss Thompson was undertaking 

 this work as she ever did with an open mind — reahsing that very careful 

 work had been done on the honey bee and that no generahsations could 

 be made in advance. The social insects often radically differ in habits. 

 What might be an anthropocentrism in case of the termites, might be a 

 fact in the biology of the honey bee ! 



With two other co-workers, Miss Thompson was working on a more 

 or less popular book on termites and her share was to be tJie internal 

 anatomy of termites as well as phylogeny and genetic work. 



A kindly, helpful spirit, of keen mind, but modest — Miss Thompson 

 will be long remembered by her students and co-workers in science. A 

 striking point in Dr Thompson's personality, in fact its keynote, and 

 which signaUsed her as an investigator and as a teacher, is that with all 

 her splendid training and her admirable technique she was not biased by 

 the current fashions of the school in which she was trained but struck 

 out into new fields. Her own research work will endure for ever ! 



F. E. Snyder, 



Speoialist in Forest Entomology, United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 



