1010 rHOCF.EDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



is a kind of iiitroductiou which will contribute to a certain extent to 

 fill the gap left in this branch of the, nowadays so important, biological 

 literature in India. 



But I feel that the time has come for rectifying what I have just 

 now said : the priority of tliese studies in India does not belong to me. 

 In 1912 one of oiu" colleagues, who gives us the honour of presiding at 

 this Conference, was the first to discover in the rectum of Hodotermes 

 viarum from Coimbatore. the existence of a very abundant Trichonymphid 

 famia. This distinguished Entomologist, whose preparations I have 

 latelj' .studied and to whom I owe so much of learned advice, is Mr. 

 Bainbrigge Fletcher. To him my best thanks are due. 



The relations between Trichonymphids and Termites are explained 

 by the three following theories : — 



(ff) the first one admits the fact as a mere case of accidental para- 

 sitism : 



(b) the second finds in these relations a certain influence on the 



differentiation of the termites castes ; 



(c) the third finds in these conditions a symbiotic relationship in 



which the parasites, forming their own bodies by the con- 

 sumption of the wood ingested by the termite, would help 

 the nutrition of its host. 



I will quote on this subject the words of Bugnion : — " Reproducing 

 daily in prodigious quantities, dying every day by millions, these para- 

 sites would be digested and would in this way contribute to the nutrition 

 of the termite." 



The most important argument on which the theory of Bugnion is 

 founded, is not only that the Trichonymphids are harmless to the 

 termite, but that the larvae of Calotermes greeni harbour an abundant 

 Trichonymphid fauna during the most part of their life in which they 

 feed on wood. It happens however that these larvae cease eating wood 

 some days before moulting and the Trichonymphids disajjpear at the 

 same time. 



In fact, one can see that the termites kept in captivity and without 

 wood for nourishment lose their parasites rapidly. But I cannot induce 

 you to believe this pretended conclusion of Bugnion. not only for the 

 reason that the death can be explained by want of food, but especially 

 because I have studied some species of Odontotermes and Microtermes 

 that feed on wood without harboiu-ing Trichonymphid parasites in 

 their digestive tract. 



Trichonymphids are not found in all kinds of Termites. Some of 

 tliem never contain such parasites : the genus Termes, for example. 



