Hubbard.] 270 [December 26, 



ored, and apparently somewhat exhausted by the deposit of eggs. 

 She was surrounded and covered by workers who showed great 

 anxiety when the cell was opened. In the neighborhood of the 

 queen's cell were found five or six sexual individuals with wings 

 wanting. These I suspect had been selected from the swarming 

 brood, and were destined to remain in the nest. Their presence so 

 near the queen may have been accidental, as the loss of their wings 

 would enable them in the disturbance to penetrate the interior. If 

 so, they were the only ones that succeeded out of thousands that 

 became entangled in attempting to leave their proper quarters in the 

 laminated exterior. 



Of the asexual workers which swarmed in countless numbers in 

 all parts of the nest, about half were black-headed " nasuti ". A 

 very few mandibulate soldiers were seen among the workers. 



A large red ant held undisputed possession of a small corner of 

 the nest, from which it appeared to have driven out the termites. 



No. 4. Another very large nest built upon a bamboo fence, and 

 enclosing the top rail, which passed through it just below the centre. 

 Queen's cell, with single occupant, rested upon the bamboo rail, as 

 nearly as possible in the centre of the nest. Evidently a younger 

 colony than the last, and the queen whiter, more distended and 

 somewhat smaller. Immense swarming brood filling the laminated 

 exterior. No brittle netted structure in any part of the nest similar 

 to that in No. 3. Nodules very numerous, some of them very large 

 and surrounded by young. 



No. 5. Also a very vigorous colony. Nest not so large as the two 

 preceding, placed. in the fork of a tree, about six feet above the 

 ground. Exterior layers full of winged brood. Interior very hard 

 and compact, enclosing numerous very large and bright-colored nod- 

 ules with young. Queen's cell above the centre, most of the nodules 

 below it. A single sexual termite, with wings removed, was found in 

 the cell with the queen. In this case it could hardly have been an 

 accidental wanderer, as a large fragment from the interior, which 

 fortunately proved to contain the queen, was quickly torn out, re- 

 moved to a distance from the nest and separately examined. A large 

 colony of red ants occupied a corner of this nest, and rendered a 

 careful examination of it impossible. 



Several other nests examined with more or less care presented no 

 further peculiarities. A single queen was found in nearly every one. 

 Where no queen was discovered it is probable that she escaped 



