1 897-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 195 



that the Termes have come voluntarily or by accident into some 

 of these nests. In either case when we find the ants and Termes 

 together, they seem to be living in perfect harmony. I am per- 

 fectly satisfied, also, that some of these ants make use of the 

 Termites in the excavation of chambers in logs and stumps, as 

 the Termites can do this much easier than the ants. It may also 

 be that the ants use some of the Termites the same as they do 

 the aphides and coccids lapping up the excretions from their 

 bodies, but I am not prepared to slate this as being so as I have 

 not observed them in this capacity. The ants can be seen carry- 

 ing the Termites away to places of safety when one of their nests 

 are disturbed, that is, if the herd is a small one. I have often 

 noticed if the herd was a large one with the ants that when they 

 were disturbed the ants and Termites would fight with each other, 

 one pulling the other by their legs, antennae, or any other part 

 they could conveniently get hold of, but I have never yet stopped 

 to await the final results to see which would be the most victori- 

 ous. I have, however, observed several times when a Termite 

 would let go its hold of an ant, the ant would jump for it very 

 speedily, grabbing it in its mandibles like a dog after a fresh hold. 

 It is said that the so-called soldier Termite protects the rest of 

 the colony. I have yet to observe the soldier Termes fiavipes to 

 take any part in battle, or show any signs of protection towards 

 the rest of the colony. What their real functions are I am un- 

 prepared to state at this writing. In some nests of ants I have 

 found a single soldier Termite, in others only one worker, some- 

 times two and five, etc., where other colonies may run up with a 

 hundred or more. 



Ants not only collect the Termites for their use, but also the 

 eggs of the Termites. I have found two examples of this, the 

 first appears to be Aug. i8, 1894, in the nest oi Lashis flavus L., 

 the other on Nov. 2, 1896, in the nest of Lasius claviger Rog. 

 There were hundreds of these tiny eggs in each of the nests, and 

 the ants were attending them the same as they appeared to attend 

 the eggs of aphids and coccids. In the last nest I found some 

 of the small forms of Termes. In neither of these nests were 

 there to be found any of the adult forms of Termites. 



During my researches I have found large mounds which had 

 contained a large and flourishing colony of Formica obscuripes 

 For., but now had become a large unflourishing colony of Termes 



