CHAP. XVI TERMITIDAE 357 



is terminated by a pair of short cerci. The metamorphosis 

 is slight and gradual, and in some individuals is dispensed 

 luith. 



The term White Ants has been so long in use for the Termitidae 

 that it appears almost hopeless to replace it in popular use by 

 another word. It has, however, always given rise to a great 

 deal of confusion by leading people to suppose that white ants 

 differ chiefly from ordinary ants by their colour. This is a most 

 erroneous idea. There are scarcely any two divisions of Insects 

 more different than the white ants and the ordinary ants. The 

 two groups have little in common except that both have a social 

 life, and that a very interesting analogy exists between the forms 

 of the workers and soldiers of these two dissimilar Orders of 

 Insects, giving rise to numerous analogies of habits. The word 

 Termites — pronounced as two syllables — is a less objectionable 

 name for these Insects than white ants. 



The integument in Termites is delicate, and the chitinous 

 plates are never very hard ; frequently they are so slightly 

 developed that the creature appears to consist of a single mem- 

 branous sac with creases in it, the head alone being very distinct. 

 The head is exserted, frequently of large 

 size, sometimes as large as all the rest 

 of the body together. Termites may 

 be quite blind, or possess facetted and 

 simple eyes, the latter when present 

 being two in number and always accom- ^ ^ 



panied by facetted eyes. The antennae ^j^ 226. — Teruics hdiicosus. 

 are simple, consisting of from nine to Labium, A, maxilla, B, of 



.. ,., ,.p£, ,, winged adult ; lower face of 



thirty - one joints, which diner but g^ch. (After Hagen.) 



little from one another ; the number in 



each individual increases as the development progresses. The 



parts of the mouth are large, the ligula consists of one piece 



(Fig. 226, A), but often has the appearance of being formed hj 



two united pieces ; on its extremity are seated two pairs of 



lobes. 



The head is articulated to the thorax by means of two very 

 large cervical sclerites on each side, placed at right angles to one 

 another, and visible on the under-surface. The prothorax is 

 well developed and distinct from the parts behind it. The pro- 



