TERMITES FROM BRITISH INDIA. 783: 



Though oiTr knowledge of the nests of Odontotermes is still 

 somewhat defective — we have so far heard nothing of their general 

 plan of constrnction nor do we know in what manner fnngns beds^ 

 nursery quarters, etc., are generally arranged — we may nevertheless 

 compare them with the moimds of the closel}- allied species Odonto- 

 termes Redemanni. The fresh, newlj' built nests of the latter 

 remind one forcibly of the young nests of 0. ohesus, the number 

 of their (0. Red.') cones, however, being smaller. Later on even 

 these few cones disappear, the intervening spaces between them 

 being tilled up by the workers. As an architect, therefore, 0. 

 Bedemanrd seems to have proceeded a step further than 0. ohesv.s.. 

 " Chimneys " are never found in nests of 0. ohestis, whereas with 

 0. Redemanni they seem to be of rather common occurrence. Now 

 since the nests of ohesus are quite as large as those of Redemavni 

 it stands to reason that the "chimneys " met with in Redemanni- 

 nests, thoiigh th&j may also serve the purpose of ventilators, are- 

 not primarily built for this end ; ventilation is, on the contrary,, 

 only their secondary function ; for sureh^ ventilation would be as 

 necessar}' for 0. ohesus as for Redemanni. Like TeaGaEDH, I 

 believe the " chimneys " rather to be passages for transport 

 used by the termites when building nests. The}^ may possibly 

 be found also in fresh nests of 0. ohesus ; but this is not 

 at all necessary, since mound-making termites may quite well 

 build nests without constructing any " chimnej^s " (cp. nests of 

 Sijnterines). 



Odontotermes brunneus. Hag. 



Imago. — For description see Hage^', Monogi'aphie der Termiten,. 

 1858. 



Soldier. — Closely resembling 0. ceylon{ctis,WsLSi[n., but somewhat 

 larger, with broader head, and mandibles showing a sharper curve^ 

 Antennae of 17 segments, 4th segment longer than ord. (In ce//- 

 lonicus of 16 segments, 4th shorter than 3id). Left mandible^ 

 just beyond middle, with large tooth. Tooth of right mandible in 

 same position but small (in ceylonicus rudimentary). Labrun> 

 rounded off at tip (in ceylonicus pointed). Pronotum deeply 

 bilobed anteriorl}^ (in ceylonicus slightly bilobed). Head brown- 

 red, dorsal side of abdomen brownish (in ceijlonicus head j-ellow-red^ 



