White Ant Notes. 465 



sadly neglected. They were uf good soils, but ((uiic untrained, so 

 iliat ail exhibited several luain stems oi- limbs starting out of the 

 trunk at ground level. Such pruning of the orchards as had not been 

 done with a chopper by a native had been accomplished by oxen. 

 ()uitc a number of limbs had been hacked oft' or broken off six to 

 twelve inches from the ground, and had died. Then again, through 

 general neglect, the bark was in a poor state and presented much dead 

 outer tissue. The dead stubs attracted the white ants in the first 

 place, then they passed to the hide-bound bark, and hnding this 

 paLatable, gnawed deeply into it to the wood. This then was not 

 a vicious attack, but one that had been invited. 



Within the Union, I have never seen typical wliite ant attack 

 on citriis trees. If su(di does occur, it is in restricted ])arts or when 

 conditions are very u)ifa\oural)l(' to tlie trees. I am led io ((ualify njy 

 statement regarding white ant attack on citrus mainly because I am 

 told that a white ant, not known to occur in the Union, commonly 

 injures young citrus in Rhodesia. It is true also that damage has 

 been reported from the bushveld, but this, in the light of what has 

 already been said, is not surprising*. A report has also been received 

 from Thabina, in the low veld of the Leydsdorp District. Unless 

 some kind not common to other parts of the Union is involved, this 

 may turn out to be quite a casual matter, resulting from the planting 

 of trees in a sickly condition or planting directly upon a white ant 

 iiKMind. 



IV. — In Wklls and BoREiior-Ks. 



When the first complaint reached me concerning white ants in 

 boreholes, I confess I felt very doubtful about the matter. But 

 since then the pollution of boreholes and weils by white ants has 

 proved to be by no means uncommon. The insects are either drawn 

 up in buckets or pumped up. I have been fortunate enoug'h to see 

 two of the kinds so found, one lot from a well, the other from a bore- 

 hole; also, in both instances, to secure some direct evidence showing 

 Ikiw the insects got themselves into such a piedicament. 



Thcic is a considerable amount of interest attaching lo this 

 niattci', since it goes to show the extremes these insects will go to or 

 may be instinctively led to, in order to secure water. The insects 

 tiom the well were Harvesters or Grasdraers ; those from the borehole 

 \\(-ic Fungus Growers (Tcrme.s hadivs). When Ave consider that these 

 two, or closely allied termites, manage to exist in the Kalahari, so 

 far even as Lehutulu, otJO miles west of Mafeking, it becomes fairly 

 ()b\ious that they must at times have to go dec^p into the soil to 

 (thiain such juoisture as we know they require for the wtdl-being of 

 llieif communities, especially for the upbringing of their young. 



The only positive evidence I have of white ants boring" to any 

 depth was found in a limestone quarry in the bushveld. There the 

 dowuAvard tunnels of Harvesters were seen passing- along faults in 

 the stone to a depth of fourteen feet. That these insects bore to 

 greater depths is often asserted by those farnu^rs who have had occa- 

 sion to dig deep wells, and their statements are borne out liy the case 

 of the insects that were taken from a well. These had a tunnel which 

 opened into the wall of the well, much deeper than fourteen feet. 

 I am told they could not go deeper because a layer of stone barred 

 the way. From the mouth of their tunnel the insects emerged and 



