204 SPOLIA ZEYLANIOA. 



or several of such cakes were present in each chamber ; when 

 several occurred they were piled one over the other like dishes. 



These cakes were occupied by thousands of Termites. The 

 plan of composition of the '• cake " consisted of a multitude of 

 small cells each of which had its numerous inhabitants ; especially 

 the passages between the cells seethed with larvae and nymphs of 

 all stages. 



The framework of the cake was furthermore beset with rela- 

 tively numerous white nodules, about the size of a pin's head, 

 1-2 mm. diameter, which at first I took to be Termite eggs. 

 Microscope examination showed me however that they were 

 structures of quite a different nature. 



One could perceive with the unaided eye that the entire " cake " 

 was covered, inside and outside, with a fine felt of fungus hyphse 

 These associated themselves in masses at certain places and ae 

 theirterminal parts branched and expanded in a particular mannei' 

 globular aggregates of club-shaped bodies — in other words, the 

 white nodules, which I will henceforth designate mycelial nodules — 

 were produced. At present I will not discuss the botanical side 

 of the question. 



The resemblance to the growths observed by Holier in the 

 fungus gardens of ants of the genus Atta in Brazil, immediately 

 occurred to me. As a matter of fact the mycelial nodules serve 

 the same purpose to the Termites that Moller's nodules do to the 

 South American ants. At the same time there are certain bio- 

 logical peculiarities to be mentioned which are of interest and 

 have not hitherto been observed. 



I was able to prove by different ways that the mycelial nodules 

 are eaten. In the first place I opened the intestine of numerous 

 individuals and found them in the crops of all the larvae and 

 nymphs which I examined. Indeed the crops were completely 

 filled with them, and nothing besides. The cells of the mycelial 

 nodules were all quite uninjured. The foregoing applies alike to 

 the larvae of workers and soldiers and to the larvae and nymphs 

 of the sexual individuals. 



I also succeeded in actually feeding the larvge of the workers 

 and soldiers as well as the larvae and nymphs of the sexual 

 insects with the mycelial nodules. By offering a single nodule 

 on the point of a needle to animals which had hungered for some 

 hours or for a day, they accepted the proffered diet. It was 

 interesting to observe how they first of all investigated it with 

 their palps, then took it between the mouth-parts, and slowly 

 turned it round for a long time working it with the points of the 

 mandibles. It is not easy to observe these operations because the 



