THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



13 



take flight and unless they are unfor- 

 tunate enough to fall foul of some 

 lunigry bird, soon come to earth. Like 

 moths' they are very commonly at- 

 tracted by the glare of a light in an 

 open window, and if one watches 

 them as they settle around a lamp, 

 it will be noticed that they readily 

 cast off their wings without the 

 slightest inconvenience, and crawl 

 rapidly away to some dark corner. At 

 the bases of the wings there is a defi- 

 nite cross line of weakness, and when 

 the insect feels these members to be 

 of no further service, it wriggles and 

 twists its body with no uncertain ef- 

 fort, until a fracture occurs, and the 

 whole four wings arc left behind. 

 Late on a hot evening, when we turn 

 down the lamp, a cluster of gauzy 

 iridescent wings on the table around 

 it is often all that remains to remind 

 one of the irritating attention of their 

 owners during the few preceding 

 hours. 



To the second caste belong the 

 workers, which are more numerous 

 in individuals than any other. To 

 them is entrusted all the work of the 

 community; building and repairing 

 the nest, feeding the young, and look- 

 ing after the eggs and the queen. They 

 are literally the "hewers of wood and 

 drawers of water" of this termite 

 kingdom. Like the next caste, the 

 soldier, they are aborted males and 

 females. 



The soldier caste is generally easily 

 distinguished by the large sickle- 

 shaped jaws, which are used as 

 weapons against invaders. They stand 

 guard over the tunnels should any 

 holes be made in them, and de- 

 fend the workers, who quickly repair 

 the damage. 



The soldiers of the genus Entermcs 

 are remarkable for having a sharp 

 awl-like snout, in which fluid is 

 stored as a means of defence against 

 enemies. 



As termites are such a general pest 

 in Australia, a few notes on the 

 methods adopted for their eradication 

 may prove of use. 



Arsenic is the poison generally used 

 for their destruction, and as they feed 



on the bodies of their companions 

 which have died from its effects, the 

 poison is thus passed on. If the 

 arsenic be mixed with treacle or sugar 

 and placed in the wood where they are 

 working, they will soon fall victims 

 to it. 



A method suggested by Mr. b'rog- 

 gatt for preventing their ingress into 

 buildings is to paint the floor joists 

 with arsenic mixed with wood pre- 

 serving oil. A pound of arsenic should 

 be boiled with a pound of washing soda 

 and then mixed with four gallons of 

 the oil. 



In North Queensland and Papua 

 many of the houses are built on piles, 

 the tops of which are covered with tin 

 caps to prevent the ants entering the 

 house. The piles are also well coated 

 with tar. All termites' nests in the 

 vicinity of a building must be de- 

 stroyed, as the insects often tunnel 

 for long distances underground in 

 search of the timber they desire. An 

 established nest may be effectively 

 disposed of by fire, since the internal 

 woody pulp burns readily. A hole 

 should be made on each side of the 

 nest, and a fire lighted in one of them. 

 The air passes freely through the gal- 

 leries in the structure and so forms a 

 draught, which soon carries the smoke 

 into the innermost recesses and drives 

 the flurried insects before it. A nest 

 several feet in diameter will take 

 several days to burn out, and the 

 smoke from it gives off a peculiar 

 pungent odour, which drives away all 

 the mosquitoes in the vicinity — an 

 item of no inconsiderable value in 

 tropical regions. When the woody 

 material of the nest is completely 

 destroved, together with the insects 

 inhabiting it, the outer mound may 

 remain intact for some considerable 

 time. The cavity within forms an 

 excellent oven in which bread can 

 be baked, and they are not in- 

 frequently used for this purpose by 

 the bushmen of Australia. 



The methods for dealing with these 

 noxious insects have been thoroughly 

 treated by Mr. Froggatt in Fanner's 

 Bulletin, No. 60, issued gratis by the 

 Department of Agriculture. 



