TERMITES FROM BRITISH INDIA. Ill 



Avorkers moving actively about in all directions. Imago after 

 imago emerged in close succession from the holes ; after running 

 about for a very short time, they took wing and disappeared in a 

 westerly direction following, I believe, the drift of the breeze. 

 Towards 7-15 o'clock the number of images coming out of the 

 openings grew gradually smaller, at last it stopped altogether and 

 the workers began to return into the holes ; at 7-25 they started 

 closing the apertures. Shortly before this the soldiers, not a 

 single one of which — as stated above — had till then been noticed 

 in spite of the most careful search, had made their appearance. A 

 good many of them were to be seen in eveiy hole, lining the 

 circular opening, and protruding their heads just above its margin 

 without, however, coming out completelj". The workers wedged 

 their way through them and by and by covered up the mouths of 

 the different tunnels with thin convex lids of earthy material. 

 Towards 7-30 all was over : the termites had disappeared and all 

 the holes were closed. It had become quite dark by this time ; 

 the last part of the observations had to be made by lamplight." 

 (Assmuth.) 



Note. — There are males as well as females among the winged 

 individuals taken from this nest, a clear proof that the swarming 

 of the two sexes takes place simultaneously. It goes without 

 saying that inbreeding is thereby greatlj^ favoured. 



The fact that this species of termites closes the nest-openings 

 with a convex cover, is interesting because the Soiith American 

 T^utermes do the same when walling up the exits of their dwellings. 

 The nests of the latter often present a warty surface after the 

 swarming of the images, a peculiarity brought about hj the mode of 

 closing the openings ; later on, when drj^, the surface appears quite 

 flat. Had the coverings been made level at the very outset, they 

 would biirst during the process of drj'-ing. 



Khandala, 22-10-1911. — " Imagines of 0. Fece swarming at 

 sunset; taken by Fr. Dreckmann." (Assmuth.) 



Bombay, 30-9-1911. — " Taken in compound of our College 

 near wall of hoiise. A big dry leaf of a fan-palm lying there had 

 been partl}^ plastered over with tunnels of friable earthy material 

 and eaten up, as far as covered, by termites. I observed (as I 

 have done repeatedly before) that the soldiers of this species are 

 not nearl)^ so numerous as the workers, the proportion in the pre- 

 sent case being about 1 : 8 or 10. The soldiers are not so 

 nimble either as the workers, they bite however most readily. 

 The workers bite likewise (though not so frequently as the soldiers); 

 such is hardly or not at all the case Avith other Indian termites, as 

 far as my experience goes.'' (Assmuth.) 



BoRiVLi Jungle, 13-12-1911. — "Termites in half dry cow- 

 dung completely hollowed out by them." (Assmuth.) 



