PSE CDOXE CROP PER A . 



79 



greater number of the individuals composing one of these swarms 

 soon perish. They fall victims to birds and other insectivorous 

 animals. But in a few cases a couple is taken in charge by some 

 workers; and thus is founded a new colon)-. There is usually at 

 the head of a colony only a single pair of sexual individuals. These 

 have been termed the King and Queen. It should be borne in 

 mind, however, that they are simply the parents of the community; 

 for all of the individuals in a colony, except the founders who 

 " elected " this King and Queen, are their offspring ; and in no case 

 among insects do we find rulers at the head of a community. It 

 would have been better in each case had the term Mother been ap- 

 plied to the individual at the head of a colon)- of Termites, ants, bees, 

 or wasps; as the function of such an individual is merely the produc- 

 tion of eggs. A cell is provided by the worker Termites for their 

 King and Queen. This is shaped like an inverted 

 watch-glass, and is furnished at first with a single 

 small opening ; later there are several. Within this 

 cell the royal pair remain prisoners ; but they are 

 carefully attended by numerous workers. As the 

 eggs develop in the body of the female her abdo- 

 men becomes greatly extended. Fig. 76 represents 

 such a queen, natural size. The specimen figured 

 is from India, and was kindly given to me by Dr. 

 Hagen. The dark spots along the middle of the 

 dorsal wall of the abdomen are the chitinized parts 

 of that region ; the lighter portions are made up of 

 the very much stretched membrane uniting the 

 segments ; along each side of the abdomen the spi- 

 racles are visible. This specimen is a comparatively 

 small one ; in some species the queens become six 

 or eight inches in length. 



In addition to the winged males and females just 

 described, there are sometimes developed wingless sexual individuals 

 which never leave the nest. These are termed complemental males and 

 females ; and they serve as substitutes for the winged males or 

 females whenever a community does not find a true king or queen. 

 The complemental females produce comparatively few eggs, and 

 consequently never become as large as do the true queens. It re- 

 quires several of these to replace a queen. Fritz Mtiller found in 

 one case a king living in company with thirty-one complemental 

 females. As these wingless males and females never leave the nest, 



r ic. 76. — Queen white- 

 ant, Termcs gilvus. 



