CONSTITUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TERMITES. 295 
This colony was unfortunately killed at the end of June by 
over-dryness. 
The structures built before swarming were certainly made 
chiefly for the purpose of facilitating that procedure. But 
similar erections, with the exception of the chimneys, can be 
obtained at a time remote from the swarm-period, or after it 
has elapsed, as in the case just described, where the Termites 
evidently found the vessel unsuitable, and attempted to 
abandon it, but were unsuccessful, and therefore all died. 
I state that they endeavoured to quit the jar because on 
other occasions I have observed a general migration from a 
vessel which had been inhabited some time, the contents of 
which were found on examination to be unsuited to their 
welfare (too damp, mouldy, over-dry, &c.). 
Termes does not line the galleries hollowed out of wood 
with excrement. The wood-meal produced by burrowing 
varies in colour with the material from which it is derived. 
Burrows are very easily made in certain cactus-phylloclades 
which keep their white colour after death, but become very soft ; 
the inner surface of these burrows and the dust removed are 
both white. 
Termites customarily select the softer parts of the wood, but 
when these are all destroyed they attack the hard parts, and 
thus form spacious chambers, openings, &c. 
Temperature and humidity are as important for Termes as 
for Calotermes; and as far as is known at present the 
geographical distribution of these forms coincides.' But it 
must be remembered that.the former can flourish at a some- 
what lower mean temperature than the latter, so at least I 
imagine, for the following reasons : 
Oviposition commences as early as the beginning of May. 
In October and November forms in intermediate stages between 
the nymph and the larva with the earliest indication of wings 
1 (Termes, however, extends farther north, occurring in France at 
Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rochefort, and La Rochelle, and in Italy in Tuscany 
and Venetia, the present writer having lately found a winged example at 
Venice.—W. F. H. B.] 
