50 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FORESTS. 
is here that copulation probably takes place. Doubtless many 
colonizing pairs, even after escaping their numerous enemies at 
the time of the annual swarm, fail to become established in a new 
colony owing to unfavorable moisture conditions. Sometimes sev- 
eral pairs are found together in the same cell in a piece of wood, or 
perhaps one male and two females, or vice versa, but these repro- 
ductive forms, unlike the neoteimic forms, are not normally polyg- 
amous. The young royal couple, after finding suitable shelter, for- 
age for themselves and the abdomens of both sexes increase slightly 
in size, becoming swollen. This is probably due to feeding? and 
development of the sexual organs. Heath states that “everything 
is apparently sacrificed to lightness of body” at, the time of the 
swarm. This results in wider dispersal.¢ Copulation probably 
does not take place till about a week after the swarm, when the 
couples are established together in the royal cell, as sexed adults 
of flavipes that swarmed on May 8, 1912, were in royal cells on 
May 15, the male no longer following the female about. 
While it is not essential that the colonizing pairs, the young kings 
and queens, be adopted by foraging workers and soldiers, it is pos- 
sible that this sometimes occurs. It is significant that small branch 
colonies of workers and soldiers are to be commonly found under 
decaying pieces of wood and in the ground after the swarm. 
COPULATION AND THE RATE OF EGG LAYING. 
Actual copulation was not observed during these investigations, 
but observations indicate that copulation does not take place till 
after the male and queen are established in the royal cell, and copu- 
lation at the time of swarming outside the nest is not very probable, 
as the genitals of the males are in a very imperfect stage of devel- 
opment.© Other observers have noted the process in the case of 
flavipes. 
Haviland states,? “In Termes malayanus I have reason to think 
that the king fertilizes the eggs after they are laid; indeed, copu- 
lation in the case of kings and fully grown queens of most species of 
the genus Termes is apparently impossible.” [ ?] 

a Heath, H. Loc. cit. 
b Miiller, Fritz. Beitrige zur kenntniss der Termiten. Jenaische Ztschr. f. méd., 
Bd. 7, Heft 3, p. 333-358, figs. 11, pls. 19-20, Marz 7, 1873. See p. 337-351. 
I. Die Geschlechtstheile der Soldaten von Calotermes. 
II. Die Wohnungen unserer Termiten, p. 341-358. 
c Hagen, H. A. Some remarks upon white ants. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 
v. 20, p. 121-124, December 4, 1878. 
d Haviland, G. D. Observations on termites, with descriptions of new species. 
[Read 3d June, 1897.] Jour. Linn. Soc. (London), Zool., v. 26, p. 358-442, pl. 22-25, 
April 1, 1898. 
