TERMITES FROM BRITISH INDIA. 779 



mm. Labrum reaching to either one-half, or one-third ou\j, the 

 length of mandibles. Salivary glands same as in a. 



Odontotermes obesus c :— Length of head (soldier) 2-2-33 mm., 

 breadth of head about 1-33 mm., length of body 5'25-5-4 mm. 

 Labrum reaching to one-third only the length of mandibles. 

 Salivary glands very strongly developed. (Different from Odonto- 

 termes obesus u'cdlonensis, Wasm.) 



Collector's report: — 



Odontotermes obesus a. 



Khandala, 21-1-1911. — "In dry half-burnt twigs and other 

 vegetable remains, which, after being covered with friable galleries 

 of red soil, had — as far as thus covered — been eaten up b}' termites. 

 Soil used for building galleries evidently not so well cemented 

 ■with secretions from salivary glands as is otherwise done by 

 Termes obesus.'''' (Assmuth.) 



21-1-1911. — " Pretty tall mound at foot of bush on low 

 :slope." (Assmuth.) 



26-2-1911. — " Smaller mound crowned b}' turrets, con- 

 :structed on hillside in midst of shrubs." (Assmuth.) 



26-2-1911. — " Middle-sized mound at foot of high tree." 

 .(Assmuth.) 



26-4-1911.^ — " Hillock nearly 6 feet high leaning against 

 :a tree. Two cjueens, but on\j one king taken in nest." (Ass- 

 muth.) — Imagines of Microtermes obesi, n. sp., found in same 

 nest. 



22-5-1911. — " Mound built on slope by side of mountain 

 path. Nest deserted, probably pillaged b}^ ants. Fungi grow^n 

 to long thick white stalks of 10 mm. and more in length. No 

 termites in fungus beds, only a small number of them found in 

 narrow passages constructed in pillars of nest. Nest therefore 

 pillaged in all probability but a short time before. No cjueen nor 

 royal cell either to be found." (Assmuth.) 



22-5-1911. — " Big nest on slo]3e at bottom of shrub, the 

 roots of which were found traversing every part of nest. Fungus 

 beds of strangely bluish colour (in other cases simpl}^ brown). 

 Though only small part of nest examined, jet 260 guests taken." 

 '(Assmuth.) 



