370 ME. G. D. HAVILAND ON TEEMITES. 



the nest and then shed across a transverse basal line, leaving sub- 

 triangular wing-stumps. The vas deferens opens behind the 

 ventral plate o£ the 9th abdominal segment. The males live 

 permanently along with the females, but there are no copulatory 

 organs. 



Eemales when young closely resemble the males. The ventral 

 plates of the 8th and 9th abdominal segments are divided, and 

 the halves are small and separated. "When the female becomes 

 the mother of a colony, her abdomen enlarges by dilatation of 

 the cuticle between the chitinous plates ; and sometimes there 

 is secondary chitinization extending forwards from the anterior 

 borders of the plates. 



The soldiers are sterile, wingless, and for the most part blind. 

 Their head is chitinous and strong, peculiarlj^ and variously 

 modified for defence. The segments of the antennae are more 

 elongate than in the males and females, and fewer, generally in the 

 proportion of 8 to 9. The mandibles are very various in the dif- 

 ferent species, but very characteristic of each species, and quite 

 different from those in the males and workers. Tlie gula is large 

 and firmly united to the head, generally for the greater portion 

 of its length. The cervical sclerites are larger than in the males 

 and workers. The thorax and abdomen are generally but little 

 chitinized; the latter is generally more quadrate than in the 

 workers. Some individuals have rudiments of ovaries, and 

 some of testes ; but the ventral plates of the 8th and 9th 

 abdominal segments are always entire. 



The workers are wingless and for the most part blind ; they 

 are but little chitinized, and larval in appearance. The head is 

 round, the antennae are shorter than in either male or soldier, 

 and the number of segments intermediate. The mandibles 

 are short and powerful, and covered by the obtuse labrum. In 

 species which nest in the wood on which they live the form is 

 cylindrical, and the legs shorter than the abdomen. In species 

 which wander much in search of food the thorax is considerably 

 narrowed, and the legs longer than the abdomen. 



Termites inhabit all the warm regions of the earth in countless 

 numbers. They are unable to withstand a prolonged winter's 

 frost. Their greatest enemies are ants. Their chief means of 

 defence is tbeir power of burrowing and building. 



