112 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



The further fate of this nest is unknown to me, as I left Pera- 

 deniya soon afterwards. [It was subsequently blown down 

 and demolished in a gale of wind. — -E. E. G.] 



EuTERMEs MONOCEROs, Koenig. 



The open "out-of-door " life of this species makes it more 

 accessible to observation than any other termite inhabiting 

 Ceylon, and as it is rather common, we find recorded several 

 accounts of its habits. Of recent authors Dr. Bugnion and 

 Dr. Escherich dwell at some length on the habits of this 

 interesting insect ; and I am informed by Mr. Fetch that he is 

 about to publish a Paper recounting his experiences with 

 E. monoceros. Of these, Dr. Bugnion's observations relate 

 more to laboratory experiments. With regard to Dr. Esche- 

 rich's account, I have not found it corroborated, in certain 

 particulars, by my own observations. I will therefore give 

 a short sketch of what I have been able to observe on the 

 habits of this species. 



As I have said, Eut. monoceros is rather common, so that I 

 frequently had opportunities of watching them on their 

 expeditions and when foraging. I have also opened four of 

 their nests. (In one of them I found two specimens of a 

 Cetoniid beetle — Clinteria imperialis, Payscull — the identi- 

 fication of which I owe to Mr. E. E. Green. Each was found 

 in a separate cocoon, in which they lay motionless in a state 

 of " diapause." This occurrence of Clint, imperialis in a 

 termite's nest has not, to my knowledge, been previously 

 recorded.) 



Before proceeding I must mention that, in one instance, I 

 have seen a nest built, not as usual above ground in the hollow 

 of a tree, but underground in the chimney of a mound of 

 Termes obscuricejjs, surrounding the base of a tree. This 

 proved to be not a by-nest, as is sometimes found to be the 

 case, but a regular main nest, containing a full-sized queen, 

 together with eggs and young larvae. It appears, therefore, 

 that E. monoceros does not construct its nests in hollow trees 

 alone, but wherever it may find a cavity suited to its purpose. 



