300 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science 



cases extensive damage was done. Since termites often work several 

 years unobserved in a building, it is improper to credit all damage done 

 to a single year. 



At Eichmond and Morgantown certain neighborhoods were found 

 where extensive damage was done to all surrounding wooden structures 

 that were so constructed as to invite attack. By this is meant wood 

 construction either in direct contact with the ground or very close to 

 the ground. This was particularly true at Richmond where two ad- 

 jacent dwellings were set not more than a foot from the ground. Be- 

 sides these dwellings all fences, sheds and grape arbors were badly 

 damaged by R. ftavipes. Not only were the wooden structures attacked, 

 but the heart wood of a large cherry tree and the centers of a dozen 

 thirty-year-ol'd grape vines were also eaten out. Besides, tunnels were 

 occasionally made through the living wood to the surface of infested 

 plants where the characteristic covered runways were constructed over 

 the bark. On the cheri-y tree some of these runways were a foot and 

 more in length, reminding one in a small way of the runways of certain 

 tropical species of the genus Nasutiter)iies which build runways over 

 the surface of high trees from the ground to the tops. Conditions such 

 as these indicate the presence of a large central nest somewhere in the 

 vicinity from which the insects work. At Morgantown in several lo- 

 calities somewhat similar conditions were found. 



The most interesting case of injury by R. flaripes not only from an 

 economic aspect but also from a biological one was found at Indianapolis 

 July 12, 1922. A carpenter was repairing a dwelling over fifty years 

 old in one of the older parts of the city and found that the termites 

 had worked through the decomposing mortar between the bricks into 

 oak plates made of twelve by twelve inch "flitches." Here they had 

 constructed an accessory nest from which the writer obtained twenty 

 brachypterous or second form queens in less than a half hour. Millions 

 of eggs and young in all stages of development were also found. I 

 was informed that at least twice as many of these queens had been 

 destroyed before I visited this place. 



R. virginicua is equally as important as R. fiavipes when it comes 

 to damaging buildings. In the northern and eastern residential .sections 

 of Indianapolis serious damage to dwellings was done in 1922 by the 

 former species. Repairs that were necessary amounted to as high as 

 fifteen hundred dollars in at least two cases. Some very poor types of 

 construction were revealed such as plastered wall partitions built directly 

 to the ground with cement floors around these walls. In this case it 

 would have been just as ea.sy and just as cheap, and at the same time 

 would have been a protection against termites, to have had such walls 

 constructed to rest on the cement floors. In another instance, in a 

 very costly residence, the tile floor of the sun parlor was laid on one 

 foot of cinders supported by a wooden floor. In turn in the basement 

 some of the supports and joists on which the wooden floor was laid came 

 in direct contact with wooden construction and ran into the round. When 

 this poor type of construction was removed to replace it with concrete 

 it was found that in many places the wooden floor and joists had been 



