OUTLINES OF ENTOMOLOGY. 131 



probably seldom exceeding one-half inch in length, even in the equa- 

 torial regions, while our own species are only about one-fifth of an inch 

 long. In this matter of size, however, one individual in each colony is 

 an exception. This is the "queen" or fertile female, whose abdomen 

 becomes go enormously distended with eggs, that it is from two to six 

 or eight inches in length and of a proportionate thickness. The aver- 

 age size of the queen of Termes flavipes is from one to one and one- 

 half inches. These insects are of a dingy white color. The head, with 

 which the excavating is done, is large and horny and very nearly 

 square in shape, except in the "soldiers," in which it is oblong, and pro- 

 vided with long, sharp-pointed mandibles. The thoracic segments are 

 constricted anteriorly, but broaden gradually toward the oval abdomen, 

 which has the surface microscopically hairy. The wings are possessed 

 only by the perfect males and females, and by these for a few hours 

 only; they are long and narrow, with forked but not netted venation. 

 The legs are quite long and stout. 



As in the colonies of the true ants, the Termites are divided into 

 castes, each nest containg not only males, females and neuters, but the 

 latter are divided into " workers " and " soldiers," the sole duty of the 

 latter being the defense of the colony, while the workers perform all 

 the labors of sapping and mining, building and provisioning the differ- 

 ent cells, taking care of the helpless queen and feeding the young. 

 Moreover, the sexed individuals are of two sorts, " kings " and " queens" 

 of the first rank, which, upon reaching maturity, acquire wings and 

 make an excursion into the upper world of light and air before settling 

 down to their one duty of providing for the continuance of the colony; 

 and in addition to these, what are termed " supplemental " kings and 

 queens, which never become winged, and whose function is to preserve 

 the colony from extermination in case, after swarming, the workers 

 fail to secure a genuinely royal pair. 



The internal economy of Termes' nests has been found very diffi- 

 cult to investigate, but so far as it has been observed, corresponds 

 closely to that of the ants. The eggs, as fast as they are laid, are car- 

 ried out by the workers and placed in other apartments, and the 

 young, which are active but incapable of taking care of themselves, 

 are fed upon comminuted wood or fungi. In due time the males and 

 females acquire wings and make their way out of the nest, but after 

 flying or being wafted by the wind to greater or less distances, fall to 

 the ground and shed their wings. Each male then seizes a female by 

 his mandibles, and such of the couples as escape the greediness of 

 birds and carnivorous insects are, it is said, taken in charge by workers 



which are on the watch for them, and either taken to old colonies in 



7 



