96 



PLATYPTERA. 



continues incessantly, and, according to Smeathman, 

 the above species produced 

 sixty eggs a minute, or upward 

 of 80,000 a day, if the eggs 

 were laid uninterruptedly. 



The habits and destructive 

 work of the Termites of Brazil,^ 

 and of our common species 

 (^Termes flavipes^ have been de- 

 scribed by Dr. Hagen.^ These 

 ants are very abundant in New 

 England, being found chiefly in 

 dead trees and rotten wood ; 

 fortunately, they seldom attack 

 Kving trees, but have been found 

 injurious to grapevines and ge- 

 ranium cuttings in greenhouses.^ 

 They are also fond of wood 

 moistened by steam, such as 

 the roofs of wooden bridges 

 through which steam cars pass 

 daily. They swarm in June, 

 and interesting observations up- 

 on their habits could be made 

 c'at this season. A number of 

 Fig. 50. instances are given by Dr. Hagen 



1 See Fritz Miiller. Zeitschrift fib- Medizin tmd N'aturzvis- 

 sensck. Jena, 1873, 



2 See " Probable Danger from White Ants," Amer. Nat., 

 Vol. X., 1876; also, "Remarks upon White Ants," Proc. Post. 

 Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XX., 1878-80. "Monographic der Ter- 

 miten," Linncea Entoniolog., Vols. X., XII., XIV. 



3 Can. Ent., Vol. XIX., p. 217. 



