TEEMITES IN THE CANAL, ZONE AND PANAMA. 7 



with abdomen greatly distended; this queen measured 22 milli- 

 meters in length and 4.5 millimeters in width. The shelter tunnels 

 were small, about one- fourth inch in width. 



Leueotermes tenuis was found on November 15, 1921, infesting 

 redwood window sills and frames at Ancon. These sills faced the 

 inner court of the board of health laboratory and supported the 18- 

 mesh wire screens. The termites were on both the first and second 

 floors and in both places were making covered galleries along the 

 concrete side, in a downward direction. In 24 hours they con- 

 structed from 8 to 15 inches of these galleries. On the first floor 

 the galleries were in the direction of the drain pipe, and although 

 repeatedly brushed away, were always reconstructed in the same 

 general direction. The screens are always well wetted with a hose 

 every Friday, so as to be clean of dust, etc, and consequently the 

 wooden sills also get wet. The redwood quarter-round was taken out 

 and found to be decayed in places and wet. The sill proper, of 2- 

 inch material, was not flush against the concrete, hence was not very 

 wet, excepting where the small wedges held it in place. The term- 

 ites were only in the decaying parts of the redwood, not in any 

 sound wood. As a remedy, the affected sections of wood were 

 cleaned of decayed and infested material, then wetted with a strong 

 solution of sodium fluorid, and new quarter-round strips put in, the 

 flat surfaces of which were painted with the sodium fluorid. To 

 date (June 20, 1922) there have been no further signs of the term- 

 ites. This, of course does not necessarily imply that the sodium 

 fluorid was responsible for repelling them. No termitarium was 

 found anywhere, 



At Ancon, Canal Zone, on November 23, 1921, workers and a very 

 few soldiers of this termite were found in an old piece of discarded 

 wood of a stairway. This indicates a hafoit similar to that of 

 species of Reticulitermes which will infest any wood, sound or de- 

 cayed, lying on or in contact with the ground for even short periods 

 of time. 



On November 29, 1921. Zetek and Molino found workers and sol- 

 diers of this termite in Spillway Tunnel, Miraflores, Canal Zone, 70 feet 

 below the surface. These termites were found only in the west end 

 of this long tunnel, and apparently had entered through that end, 

 following the stairway, along the walls. Their galleries along these 

 walls were very numerous (PI. IV, A, B, C). The top of the tunnel 

 is a flat arch, and at the west end there is a tall vertical shaft 

 leading to the floor of the entrance to the tunnel. Where the ceil- 

 ing of the flat arch meets the vertical shaft wall it was found that 

 in several places the termite galleries, which followed the surface 



Description of Plate IV. 



Injury by the termite Lmicotermes tenuis to lead-coyered cables at Miraflores 

 Locks, C. Z. : A. View along- concrete wall in tunnel in spillway, 70 feet below surface, 

 showing characteristic galleries. Black circle is hoie left after a piece of wood was 

 taken out. This wood was completely tunneled by the termites. Small black spots on 

 concrete are bits of crude oil or paint. November 18, 1921. B, C, Characteristic views 

 of termite galleries, taken by E. St. Clair Clayton by flashlight, in tunnel below spill- 

 way. Galleries were very numerous, standing out in bold relief upon white concrete. In 

 places they were seen to lead to moisture. November, 1921. D, E, Flashlight views of 

 tunnels of termite L. tenuis to show how sometimes shelter tubes project into space, 

 forming branching structures. Workers were seen frequently in openings at ends of 

 these tunnels, building tliem up further. View taken in long- tunnel below spillway at 

 Miraflores, 70 feet below surface. White part is concrete ceiling of tunnel, dark portion 

 is space — a vertical shaft leading to surface 70 feet above. November 19, 1921. 



