r 



SOLDIERS 



371 



constructing the nest, and is perhaps also used to disable enemies. 

 Hence the prolongation and form of the head of these Nasuti may 

 be fairly described as adaptation to useful ends. As regards the 

 great variety exhibited by other soldiers and their variety is 

 much greater than it is in the Nasuti it seems at present im- 

 possible to treat it as being cases of special adaptations for useful 

 purposes. On the whole it would be more correct to say 



Fig. 234. Soldiers of different species of Termites. (After Hagen.) 1, Termes armiger; 

 2, T. dims; 3, Caloternies flavicollis ; 4, T. bellicosus ; 5, T. occidentis ; 6, T. 

 cinfjulatus {t) ; 1, Hodotermes quadricollis {1) ; 8, T.debilis{?), Brazil. 



that the soldiers are very dissimilar in spite of their having to 

 perform similar work, than to state that they are dissimilar in 

 conformity with the difterent tasks they carry on. 



The Termite soldier is a phenomenon to which it is difficult 

 to find a parallel among Insects. The soldier in the true ants 

 is usually not definitely distinguished from the worker, but it is 

 possible that in the leaf-cutting ants, the so-called soldier may 

 prove to be more similar in its nature to the Termite soldier. 

 The soldiers of any one species of Termite are apparently ex- 



