DESCRIPTIONS AND BIOLOGY OF SOME NORTH AUSTRALIAN 

 TERMITES. 



By Gerald F. Hill. 



(Plates xxiii.-xxv. and forty-one Text-figures.) 



[Read 31st May, 1922.] 



The present paper contains descriptions of four new species and two liitherto 

 undescribed castes of Nortli Australian Termites of the genera Eutennes and 

 Hamitermes, in addition to miscellaneous references to other and better known 

 species. 



In my studies of termites I have been fortunate in enlisting the cordial 

 assistance of several well-known authorities in this group to whom I wish to 

 extend my grateful thanks. Professor Sjbstedt has very kindly presented me 

 with a nearly complete set of Dr. Mjoberg's Australian species and many papers. 

 The former has been almost indispensable in working out closely allied species. 

 To Professor Nils HolmgTen I am indebted for literature and a very large col- 

 lection of termites, including many species from the Malayan and Australian 

 Regions. I am further indebted to him for the identification of many specimens. 

 From Professor S. F. Light, Dr. T. E. Snyder and Reverend Father Wasmann 

 I have received valued assistance in the form of literature and specimens. 



The types of new species are in the writer's collection. Measurements and 

 coloui-s are recorded as in earlier papers. 



EUTERMES VERNONi, n.sp. (PL xxiii. ; xxiv., fig. 1; Text-figs. 1-9.) 



Imago. (Text-figs. 1-4.) 



Colour: Head very dark brown, postelypeus and labrum buckthorn brown, 

 a little paler than basal half of mandibles; pronotum auburn, blotched with buck- 

 thorn brown, anterior margin darkest,, meso- and metanotum buckthorn brown 

 with middle and posterior margin suffused with auburn; wing- veins and tergites 

 of abdomen auburn; wing-membrane brown with anterior margin suffused with 

 yellow ochre. 



Head (Text-fig. 1) large, hemispherical behind, front concave, clothed rather 

 densely with long and short setae. Fontanelle large, forked anteriorly, in line 

 with the middle of eyes. Eyes very large (.650 x .517) and prominent, finely 

 faceted, their lower margin very near lower margin of head (.094). Ocelli very 

 large (.188) circular, very close to the eyes. Postelypeus short and wide, more 



