1889. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 91 
he just puts up his head on the edge of the break, with a grain 
of something dark between his mandibles, and presses it firmly 
into position by aside movement of the head three or four times, 
then turns and disappears. I notice that as he turns, he has a 
peculiar way of showing the other extremity of his body. They 
all do exactly the same; the black-heads (nasuti soldiers), al- 
ways allowing them room to work, swaying their beaks back and 
forth. 
Iclean my glasses and hold my breath, looking again, and 
discover the whole process. 
Up comes a little worker with a grain of white, sticks it on 
the edge, and, pressing it into position with its mandibles. backs 
down a trifle ; then up comes the end of itsabdomen, and ejects 
upon the little grain, just rubbed in position, a drop of a semi- 
liquid substance of a whitish color. This whole operation only 
occupies a few seconds. 
Fic. 3.—Broken gallery of Eutermes, showing soldiers (masuti) guarding the break, 
while workers are engaged in repairing it. Natural size. 
Then he trots below. Up comes another, with a grain of 
brown (soil) and pats it down, butit dipsa trifle; gets hold of it 
again, another pat—successful. Then up comes the abdomen 
with the glue ; and this is the process on both sides of the break. 
I found two breaks in the galleries repaired, nothing being 
done at the others, the community apparently all quiet. I note 
that the sun is shining on the break ; perhaps that is the reason. 
I made some more extensive breaks, causing a general commo- 
tion ; very few workers visible, but Icapturedsome. This kind 
seems to get out of the way very fast, while the soldiers spread 
all around in avery excited manner; but the sun, being hot, 
soon drove them into the shade... . 
In a conversation with the American Consul here, lately from 
Barranquila and Carthagena, U. 8S. Colombia, he told me that 
the only wood that is proof against these ants in the houses 
there is Spanish cedar. They do not like the flavor or smell of 
it, and soit is used for floors and ceiling. He also told me of 
the immense destruction to buildings in that place by these 
ants, and added that they can be heard at work in the night 
when it is quiet, grinding away at the wood, and assured me 
that he had heard them himself. 
