104 JOURNAL OF THE [Octobcr, 



are worn, it is fed. Slide No. 32 shows the position of the 

 mandibles for cutting wood. Mastication of the chip is per- 

 formed by the posterior dentition. Slide No. 4 shows the worn 

 mandibles. 



Mr. Beaumont had several young Calotermes queens in white 

 ash blocks for observation under his microscope, and saw them 

 frequently cut a chip from the block. When the queen's man- 

 dibles became so worn that she could not do so, then she would 

 starve. If, however, nymphc^ were put in the block, which could 

 cut the wood and feed the queen, then she would thrive. Mr, 

 Beaumont's ash blocks are 3^ inches long hy \y^ inches square, 

 on the upper side of which he grooves to receive a glass slide. 

 Under the slide he cuts small V-shaped grooves into which he 

 places a few living members of different species, and then covers 

 them with the glass slide. In this way he could put the blocks 

 under the microscope and observe the insects, and he learned 

 more of their habits than could have been done in any other 

 way. In many of these blocks he had pairs of several different 

 species of Termites with two or three eggs, and as many larvae. 



Before mentioning some of these observations, I will describe 

 how he obtained the little colonies he placed in his blocks, as it 

 illustrates an interesting phase in the life-history of the Termites, 

 and is common to the three genera upon the Isthmus. On the 

 beach at Colon, in Coral avenue, near his house, and the shops 

 of the Panama Railroad, stands a large Coccoloba, or sea-grape 

 tree. It is really a tree of refuge for insects. I have two pho- 

 tographs of the tree taken from opposite sides. It will be 

 noticed the tree is inclined, due to the constant direction of the 

 trade-winds during the dry season, corresponding to our winter 

 and spring. The bark of the Coccoloba is rough, thick and 

 comparatively soft. The older layers are easily penetrated by 

 insects. Mr. Beaumont says larv^ of a species of saw-fly bore 

 into the bark, forming a small pocket, which is soon vacated. 

 The entire life-history of this fly is shown in a series of vials 

 with exhibit No. 26. 



In the vacant pockets a pair of Termites finds a hiding place. 

 Species of all genera upon the Isthmus have been found in the 

 bark, all within the space of a few inches square. Each is, 

 however, entirely distinct, without any connection one with the 

 other. 



