172 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [mAT 5, 



meter and three-eighths inch deep; then with a camelVhair 

 pencil, moistened at the tip, I lifted seven to the edge of the 

 hole. They enter head foremost and work at the bottom, seem- 

 ing contented. Among them is one soldier, — one imago of a 

 brown color without wings. By placing this block on the stage 

 of my microscope, with a two-inch objective, there is a good 

 view of the workings of the mouth parts, especially as they are 

 slow in the movements of their mandibles. I note that when 

 sleeping or resting the anterior part of mandibles remains partly 

 open, while the posterior part is closed. When the mandibles 

 are at work they have a cam-like movement, thrown outward 

 while coming together. 



Another strange thing is that they have two secretions from 

 the abdomen, one the hard, round pellets, and the other a soft, 

 pasty substance which is eagerly devoured and also used as a 

 cement. They not only take it from each other, but double up 

 and take it from themselves, and then slowly work the mandi- 

 bles until it disappears. Query: Is it possible that the ligne- 

 ous food has to pass through the system twice before it can be 

 jjerfectly assimilated ? 



I am pleased with the confidence you expressed in your let- 

 ters in the truth and correctness of my observations, and their 

 value scientifically and financially. Your appreciation of my 

 difficulties in the decay of wood in this climate, and knowledge 

 how to check it, suggestions and assistance about the termites, 

 have been to me a great benefit. 



I send you another balsa block containing four vials. No. 

 101 contains eggs, soldiers, workers, nymphse, and immature 

 winged ones of Tennes saltans ; No. 100 are beautiful speci- 

 mens of perfect winged ones, Termes prcelongus ; No. — , per- 

 fect winged imago Calotermes. The vial without number con- 

 tains what I got out of coach in shop for repairs. 



I shall be pleased to read Capt. Casey's description of the 

 " maid of honor. ^' I have only seen so far this season twa 

 ^'marriage flights" of the Termes, and it seems to me to be a 

 sentimental description of the dispersion of the sexes from the 

 parent-nest, for at this time, in my observations, the congress of 

 the sexes seems to take place in the nest, and previous to 

 swarming, to form other colonies. They have enemies; the 

 flight is of short duration; no time to waste on the uncertain 

 congress of the sexes on the wing, as they seem to hie to cover 

 as quickly as possible, and it is more in accordance with Na- 

 ture's laws that the female should issue forth from the parent- 

 nest in a perfect condition to form another colony. 



