WHITE ANTS. 45 



winged, and have eyes. They are brown in color, 

 and the wings are about twice as long as the body; 

 they only remain in the home a very short time 

 after the wings have developed. The workers 

 cut openings in the side of the nest, and towards 

 dusk on very hot summer evenings, one may see 

 countless numbers of the winged male and female 

 termites swarming forth. Later on they may be 

 seen flying around the lights inside the houses, and 

 dropping their brown wings, which break off very 

 readily along a distinct junction line. After they 

 have lost their means of flight, numbers pair off 

 in order to found a new colony, but the majority 

 perish. The female now becomes the queen of 

 the little company. Her body develops into a huge 

 egg sack, varying in different species from one to 

 five or six inches in length. She is waited on by 

 the workers and her royal mate ; the former carry 

 the eggs away to specially prepared cells. 



The workers (Plate 8, Figs, i and 2) form the 

 most important part of the community, both in 

 point of numbers, and in the amount of work they 

 do. They are white, blind, wingless, provided 

 with a large, round head, a pair of antennee, and 

 huge biting jaws. They do the work of the home, 

 get the food, rear the young, and build the nest. 



The soldiers closely resemble the workers, but 

 have a longer head, and more formidable looking 

 jaws. They, too, are blind and wingless. Their 

 duty seems to be in guarding the home. The 

 workers and soldiers are imperfect males and 



