SANTA CLARA 293 



to a dry spot, then across and up the opposite side to the 

 lower end of a tunnel almost directly opposite to the hole 

 from which the insects issued. This meant a journey of 

 three or four yards to accomplish two feet of air-line. The 

 termites walked singly, or by twos or threes, in a continuous 

 line, those behind practically touching those in front. Every 

 little deviation from a straight line made by the insects in 

 front was exactly followed by those behind, these deviations 

 being often not explicable by wetness or roughness of the 

 soil. The procession consisted of two kinds of individuals, 

 the larger workers and the smaller, dark-headed "nasutes," 

 so called because their heads are prolonged forward into a 

 rather sharp process suggesting a snout. The nasutes were 

 fewer than the workers. The tunnel to which the column 

 proceeded was one of the usual kind — a flattened arched way 

 running up the tree-trunk to the nest and made of wood 

 which had been chewed by the termites. 



After watching the procession for a few minutes, I took a 

 little clump of wet mud and put it on the insects' path. 

 Those approaching this obstacle were instantly confused 

 on reaching it, for although winged termites have eyes these 

 workers and nasutes are eyeless; they have antennae, how- 

 ever. Some turned back and went for several feet along the 

 way they had come, followed by an increasing number, even 

 after a way around the obstacle had been found. I think 

 that those which turned back were exclusively workers. 

 In the meantime some workers and the nasutes were explor- 

 ing to each side of the lump of wet mud, which was not more 

 than an inch in length, some going to one side, some to the 

 other. The mud thus produced a break in the procession, 

 and some nasutes that had already passed the place where 

 I put the mud came back as if to learn what was wrong. 

 Finally it was found that it was possible to pass around 

 one end of the mud and, this done, to find the original trail 



