1890.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 161 



jerk their bodies back and forth very fast; and the soldier, during 

 this movement, ejects the glutinous liquid when attacked by 

 other ants of its kind. 



We have a coach under repairs now in which there is another 

 variety of wood-ant, Calotermes marginijjennis, Latr., which I 

 have not observed before, and am surprised that they could get 

 in the car and do so much mischief while it was in constant use ; 

 they had entire possession of the inside door-casing. I send you 

 specimens, and you will find workers, soldiers, small queen (?), 

 and perhaps males in vial No. 6. No. 5 are specimens called in 

 my last letter " the jumping soldier." No. 4 contains two queen 

 Nasutitermes (Eutermes), workers, and soldiers. The other 

 centipede-like worms were found in the same nest as the queen; 

 they dropped out in large numbers when the nest was broken. 

 No. 2 are the specimens named by Dr. Hagen Termes albidus, 

 Hagen. No. 1 were found in the nest where the six queens were 

 found. 



The block of balsa wood in which the vials are sent was in my 

 termitarium about two days (forty-eigiit hours); you will see 

 how they bored into it in that time. So far they have never 

 eaten any cedar. The queens that have been sent you appear 

 about the same iu alcohol as when captured. 



September 1st, 1888. I have now to record the capture of six 

 queens, Nasutitermes (Eutermes), from one nest, all about the 

 same size and general appearance, about twenty-five mm. in 

 length and five mm. in diameter. This nest was located on the 

 trunk of a palm tree, and sprouts were all through it, so that it 

 was difficult to open it. The first piece cut was from the centre, 

 about eight inches square, in which were seven queens; one was 

 crushed with the machete. There were eggs and larvje in every 

 part of nest No. 5, and also winged ants. I started another 

 termitarium with a part of this nest, and in about two hours, 

 when tliey seemed settled and were working, I introduced one of 

 the captured queens. They at once recognized it, and, to my 

 surprise and delight, commenced to lick it clean, paying partic- 

 ular attention to its head, antennae, and legs. About twenty of 

 the workers were busy thirty minutes, while the soldiers hurried 

 around in every direction, giving orders and calling for help to 

 drag her into the nest. Like most queens, she had a will of her 

 own and wished to go in an opposite direction; but the majority 

 prevailed, with the friendly aid of the point of my pencil, in 

 getting her into the cell, and at once closed the opening. 



September 2d, 1888, To-day I cut up the rest of nest No. 5, 

 obtained a week ago, and to which was returned one of the queens. 

 It had been in a glass jar, and I was desirous to see what disposition 

 they had made of the queen. Cutting with a saw and knife to 



