— OO ee a 
a ae a Pee 
1899-1900.] Further Notes on Queensland Termites. 71 
dentia and the Thysanura (Poduride ?), He says these organs 
are the homologue of those on the ninth abdominal sternite, 
and he guards us from confounding these organs with the 
anal appendices. I can only say that I have observed no 
traces of such an organ in Australian species. 
5, The total absence of workers in calotermes, according 
to Grassi, is very remarkable, and even the soldiers are as 
1 to 20. In Termes lucifugus the soldiers also are said to 
be very scarce. Probably the proportion of soldiers depends 
upon seasonal, climatic, and accidental influences. It is so 
in Australia. I have frequently seen soldiers in greatly pre- 
dominating numbers, and at other times relatively scarce. 
6. Grassi says that the winged forms ‘of Termes lucifugus 
do not form colonies. I am not inclined to say this of 
Australian species. I have no direct evidence. It is diffi- 
cult to determine the fate of the last survivors of the myriads 
that are seen in flight. It is certain that nature, with her 
usual liberality, disposes of most of them as a food-supply. 
But new colonies under suitable conditions spring up like 
mushrooms. It is easy to account for this as the settling in 
life of winged queens, but very difficult otherwise. 
I made another attempt at tube culture, which was rather 
more successful than my earlier experiments. When I used 
a quart jar I secured for them life and considerable activity, 
but even so very little progress. Grassi’s experiments were 
made with calotermes, but he also failed with termes. The 
quart jar contains from 200 to 300 individuals of several 
grades—from the undifferentiated little larve, so white, so 
tender, and so weak, to the thick-skinned and highly chitinised 
mature workers and soldiers, As a basis of operations, I 
included with them a piece of old material, and as food a 
supply of pine sawdust—z.c., Araucaria and Damara. LEuca- 
lyptus is only consumed by termites when it is in a state of 
decay. I do not see much building going on in the jar, but 
a good deal of marching to and fro, palp drill, and the char- 
acteristic crepitation. 
_ The cultural difficulties which have to be contended with 
are the following :— 
1. The adjustment of temperature and moisture. When 
