ME. G. D. HATILAND ON TEEMITES. 359 



Hodotermes (Porotermes) quadricoUis, Eambur, of Chili, and 

 Sodotermes {Stolotermes) hrunneicornis, Hagen, of Tasmania 

 appear to belong to distinct genera, but I have seen no speci- 

 mens. Nor have I seen the Anaplotermes pacijtcus of P. Miiller. 



The genus Termes is so large that Hngen, who tried to 

 make several genera of it, failed owing to the incompleteness of 

 liis material. I also have failed, and think that in the in- 

 terests of naturalists the attempt should be postponed. I have 

 avoided the use of named subgenera because thej have no place 

 in tbe Linnean system of nomenclature, and therefore cause 

 confusion. The genus does, however, present natural groups, 

 and these I have attempted to denue, but more material and 

 further examination will alter the definitions and limits I have 

 given. The groups can seldom be distinguished by cliaracters 

 common to every caste, nor are the limits of the groups the same 

 if we rely on the soldiers as if we rely on the males. 



The largest forms of the geuus are fungus-growers. There is an 

 American group of large termites, represented by T. dirus, which 

 are almost certainly lungus-growers ; the soldiers have a pair of 

 lateral horizontal spines on the pronotum. There are three Old 

 World groups of fungus-growers. The most important is re- 

 presented by T. bellicosus ; it builds tall mounds, the iuiago and 

 soldiers are of large size, and the latter have a transparent tip 

 to the labrum and a toothless margin to the mandibles. The 

 second is represented by T. vulgaris ; it builds insignificantly 

 small mounds or none at all ; the imago is large, but the soldiers 

 are of moderate size, have a few bristles at the tip of the labrum 

 and a minute tooth at the middle of the cutting-margin of eacli 

 maudible, or at any rate of the left one. The last group, 

 represented by T. incertus, has individuals of moderate size and 

 quite dilierent habit from those of the previous groups. 



A remarkable group in which the soldiers have a very large 

 foramen in Iront of the head, from which when angry they can 

 discharge a copious viscid milky fluid, has been given the sub- 

 generic name Coptotermes by Herr Wasmann. The group is 

 quite worthy of generic rank. 



Another remarkable group, in which the soldiers have a minute 

 foramen in front of the head, and a long labrum reaching to the 

 tips of the strongly toothed mandibles, was given the subgeueric 

 name Bhinotermes by Dr. Hagen. This group also is worthy 

 of generic rank. I here describe the soldiers of two species 



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