BIOLOGY OF THE TERMITES OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 45 
SOLDIERS. 
Soldiers are also always present in colonies, except those just estab- 
lished by colonizing sexed adults, usually a few being present in 
incipient colonies; they are always relatively much less numerous 
than the workers. From the first to the middle of August, 1913, 
freshly molted, pigmentless soldiers of flavipes were common in colo- 
nies in Virginia, where they were found as late as the middle of 
October. On August 17, 1913, near Chain Bridge, Va., molting 
larvee and nymphs of soldiers of virginicus were found. 
LOCATION OF THE COLONY IN WINTER. 
By the middle of November to December, depending upon the 
season, termites retreat to the subterranean passages of the colony, 
the earth under infested logs being riddled by a labyrinth of galleries. 
In case of very large logs, termites may remain in the more impene- 
trable inner galleries in the heartwood. In Virginia they remain in this 
retreat until the last of February or first or last part of March, depend- 
ing on weather conditions. 
Indeed, the center of activity in termite colonies changes with 
the seasons, due to the varying needs of the colonies as to condi- 
tions of warmth and moisture, which are essential to life and devel- 
opment. In spring when there is abundant moisture, open, wooded 
southern exposures are favorable, and the outlying galleries of 
colonies are teeming with developing nymphs, whereas during the 
heat of summer conditions would be too dry. Consequently in 
summer termites bury themselves more deeply in the wood or earth 
in less exposed galleries, in moist, shady sites, and in winter usually 
enter the ground to escape the cold.* In autumn, developing larvee 
of the castes, and nymphs of soldiers and sexed adults, are to be 
found in the outlying galleries where the warmth will enable more 
rapid development. Therefore colonies apparently depleted at cer- 
tain seasons, at others will be infested. Again, the Leucotermes 
colony readily migrates, and the site is lable to abandonment if 
conditions become unfavorable. A single colony may extend to 
and inhabit several adjacent stumps or trees, and it is often impos- 
sible to define the limits of a colony or the line of demarcation be- 
tween different colonies in a region where termite colonies are abund- 
ant and there are many decaying stumps or logs; hence what is 
apparently a separate colony may be only a branch connected with 
the main colony by subterranean passages. If colonies are cut into 
and the reproductive forms removed, the colony quite frequently 
abandons the nest. The reproductive forms are capable of move- 
ment, and it may be that old colonies branch out by means of neo- 

a As the higher altitudes are attained, termite colonies in the earth under stones 
are more common; that is, in the North Carolina mountains and in cafions in Arizona. 
