INSECT COMMUNITIES 309 



be neither hungry nor in the mood for work — passed on as 

 a dainty to another individual. 



More than one species of termite may cohabit in a 

 single nest, which may also afford shelter for numerous 

 other animals, chiefly insects. Many of the latter arc 

 strangely modified in structure — the result probably of 

 long-continued symbiosis, and of participation in the 

 termite diet ; but whether the rightful owners of the 

 termitarium derive any benefit from the presence of these 

 guests has not yet been discovered. Indeed, the economy 

 of termites is still very imperfectly understood, and offers 

 a wide field to investigators of the future. 



