ThRMITES FROM BRITISH INDIA. 107 



Fungus-beds (photo 2) separated from each other hj thin layer 

 of earthy material forming a sort of loose cover surrounding the 

 different lumps, after the manner of a folding screen. Fungus- 

 beds of this species, therefore, not in excavated hollows of ground 

 as with 0. obesus and other kinds. The space below overground 

 structure of nest- in question was but a single big hole which 

 had its roof supported by some few fairly strong pillars of red soil 

 and was divided by thin partition walls, into a great many irregu- 

 larly arranged smaller compartments. Overground mound to 

 all appearance merely the accumulation of earthy material (rendered 

 extremely hard by secretions) brought up by termites from below 

 when widening the underground portion of nest. 



The tallest mounds I have so far seen belong to this kind. At 

 Krishnarajapuram I measured one about 7, and another more than 

 8 feet high (photo 3)." (Assmuth.) 



Bangalore, 11-10 and 2-11-1911. — " Nest in enclosure in front 

 of Convent of the Good Shepherd. Mound leaning against wall, 

 several feet distant from a big tree. At first onl}^ some fungus-beds 

 examined from upper portion of nest, later on whole nest dug out. 

 Rather extensive but not verj high overground structure crowned by 

 blunt peaks (photo 4). Outside appearance of mound more like that 

 observed at Kirkee (0. hrunneus) ; peaks, however, not perforated 

 like those of the just mentioned species, nor smooth and turret-like 

 as at Khandala (0. obesus), but with rough and warty surface.^ As 

 many as six queens yet only one king taken. All the queens some- 

 what smaller in size and less bulky than common fuUgrown 

 specimens of this kind, their length being hardly 6 cm.; king, on 

 the other hand, more powerfully developed than usual. Groundfloor 

 of royal cell exceptionally large, 20-5 x 25 cm., with ver}?- many 

 small holes for passage of termites. In the clod of earth containing 

 royal cell, a number of egg — as well as nursery-chambers." 

 (Assmuth.) 



Assmuth's observation that egg and nursery-chambers (" Ei-und 

 Brutkammern ") are arranged round the royal cell, is of great inte- 

 rest ; it perfectly agrees with my view, viz., that the typical nursery 

 zone which is of common occurrence, v.g., in the Synterines series, is 

 likewise found with the different species of Tennes and Odontoter- 

 mes. The zone is, however, in the majority of cases rudimentary 

 in the Termes-series since its importance has been lessened by the 

 fungus-beds which largely serve as nurserj^ quarters (against 

 Escherich, Termitenleben auf Ceylon). 



Bangalore, 28-10-1911. — "Mound built against garden wall 



1 It would be interesting to know whether the roughness of the surface was not 

 perhaps due to repairs consequent upon partial destruction of the mound ; for in 

 such cases rough and iSrarty surfaces of nests are observed also with other species. 

 This would, at the same time, well account for the different form of the nest. 



