ON SOME AUSTRALIAN TERMITES. 395 



and these again with a system of small tunnels extending downwards to a depth of 

 about 25 cm. Workers and soldiers only were found in the tubes, but numerous 

 imagines and a few nymphs with short wing-pads were collected in the chambers and 

 galleries. The latter appeared to be nj^mphs of the second form, i.e., nymphs which 

 would mature into queens and (?) kings of the second form (supplementary royalties). 

 On 4th December a few winged adults were captin-ed at a lamp in this locality. 



From my observations I conclude that termites of this species do not construct 

 termitaria, but rear their young and reach maturity in underground galleries. The 

 vertical tubes and adjoining chambers are constructed just before the winged forms 

 reach maturity and for the purpose of enabling these forms to assemble and disperse 

 unmolested b\' predatory ants and other ground-frequenting enemies. The advantage 

 of these tubes will be apparent to anyone who has witnessed the decimation of the 

 winged forms of certain other species, which make their exit at the time of swarming 

 by an opening made in the surface of the soil. Elsewhere in this paper reference 

 is made to similar tubes constructed by Hamitcrmes per plexus, sp. n., which 

 normally builds termitaria, but which frequently lives in underground galleries, as 

 does H. eucalypti. 



Leucotermes clarki, sp. n. 



Imago. — ^Upper surface buckthorn-brown, seven hindmost abdominal tergites 

 a little lighter ; mouth-parts and lower surface testaceous ; abdominal sternites not 

 distinctly darker ; wings brown, apical half near costa and radius darkly shaded. 

 The whole insect densely clothed with short reddish hairs. 



Head (fig. 27) large, wider than long, widest at eyes. Fontanelle elongate, 

 widest behind, two oblique clear mipressions on either sicle in front midway between 

 anterior end of fontanelle and posterior margin of clypeus ; an indistinct suture 

 extending posteriorly from fontanelle. Eyes very large, circular (0 • 28 dia.), projecting 

 well beyond sides of head. Ocelli large, nearly circular, half as wide as eyes, from 



Leucotermes clarki, 

 head of imago. 



which they are separated by a rather narrow space. Anteclypeus very small, one- 

 fourth as long as postclypeus, whitish, produced in the middle. Postclypeus large, 

 paler than rest of head, darker than antennae, convex above, slighth^ curved in front, 

 more so behind, twice as wide as long, divided medially by a narrow dark suture. 

 Antennae 15- or 16-jointed ; in 15-jointed antennae, 1st stout, twice as long as and 

 much wider than 2nd, 3rd smaUest, 4th and 5th equal, 6th-12th increasing 

 slightly in length, 13th longer, 14th about as long as 13th but more cyhndrical, 

 15th elongate-oval ; in 16-jointed antennae the 3rd joint of the other form is 

 divided into two, the first joint is generalh^ niore slender ; the 3rd joint is very 

 small and fused with the 4th, which is only a little larger. 



(5296) 2 G 



