334 



NEUROPTERA 



CHAP. 



climbed up plants and gave audible signals to the army, which 

 immediately responded with a hissing noise and by increasing 

 their pace with the utmost hurry ; they continued marching by 

 the spot where Smeathman observed them for upwards of an 

 hour. He was not able to find their nests, and no specimens have 

 been preserved ; both soldiers and workers possessed eyes. March- 

 ing in this way by daylight is contrary to the nature of ordinary 

 Termites, and some doubt has existed as to the correctness of 

 Smeathman's observation, which has in fact remained for upwards 

 of a century without confirmation. 



Mr. Gr. D. Haviland has, however, this year discovered in 

 Natal a Termite which shows that there are species in Africa 

 of the kind described by Smeathman, the workers and soldiers 

 being possessed of facetted eyes. Mr. Haviland states that the 

 workers of this species issue from holes in the ground during the 



heat of the day and 

 cut grass both dead 

 and green. They 

 carry it, in lengths 

 of about two inches, 

 to the mouths of 

 the holes, often 

 leaving it there and 

 going at once to 

 fetch more. Under 

 acacia bushes they 

 carry acacia leaflets 

 as well as grass. In 



Fig. 238. "Eyed, grass-cutting Termite, Hodotermes havilandi, i.y^ TniAA}cx nf flic 

 A, soldier ; B, worker. South Africa. In life the head ^"^ miuuie oi ine 

 is carried horizontally, so the piece of grass sticks up like day more grasS ac- 



^^^S-l?ole. cumulates at the 



entrance to the holes than can be taken in, but as the heat of 

 the day diminishes the workers cease to forage and take in the 

 accumulation. When the grass is all in they sometimes close 

 the mouth of the hole with moistened pellets of earth brought 

 in their mouths. The soldiers remain in the holes ; when dis- 

 turbed they jerk themselves like soldiers of other species to 

 frighten away the intruder; when they bite, their grip is very 

 tenacious. The holes are about ^ of an inch in diameter, and 

 there are usually several of them a few yards apart ; around each 



