Resume' of Recent Scientific Publications. 451 



The soldiers of some species produce a rattling sound if the 

 nest is opened. The soldiers of the group with Termes bellicosus 

 as type can generally produce the rattling sound. " In this 

 accomplishment, T. carbonafius has reached the highest stage 

 of development, for the soldiers can hammer in rhythmic 

 unison. At first a few begin irregularly, then they get into 

 time and the others take it up. Every soldier in the exposed 

 portion of the nest stands up and hammers with his head; the 

 blow is given thrice in very quick succession, and then there is 

 an interval of two seconds. The noise they produce reminded 

 me of wavelets lapping on a shore.'' Generally the soldiers 

 are numerous, perhaps about a fifth part as numerous as the 

 workers. 



The workers not only collect the food and build the nest, 

 but also nurse the young, and may be seen carrying the eggs 

 and young larvae to places of greater safety. In some species 

 Dr. Haviland is sure that they take care of the queens. 



The structure and position of Termites' nests are very various. 

 All the species whose soldiers have a distinctly saddle-shaped 

 pronotum seem to use proctodeal discharges in the building of 

 their nests. The fungus-growers, on the other hand, do not do 

 so, but moisten the pellets of clay which they bring with fluid 

 from their mouths. 



Out of eleven South African species mentioned in the paper, 

 nine are described for the first time and four are figured. 



Hemiptera Homoptera. 



Distant, W. L. " On a Collection of Homoptera made in Southern 

 Africa." Annals. Magazine of Natural History, vol. xix., 6th 

 series, 1897, pp. 125-133. 



Contains descriptions of new species collected by him during 

 his sojourn in the Transvaal, and also of nine Cicadidce, col- 

 lected in Zambesia by Mr. G. A. K. Marshall. He records 

 thirteen species of Cicadidce as occurring in the Transvaal. 



L. P. 



AEACHNIDA. 



Simon, E. "Descriptions d'Arachnides Nouveaux." Ann. Soc. 

 Ent. Belg., xli., No. 1, pp. 8-17, Feb., 1897. 



