1886. ] The Teredo, or Shipworm. . 131 
parasol ants, and repays their hospitality by feeding upon them. 
The natives firmly believe that the “ serpent a deux tetes,” as they 
call it, is the mother of the ants, and that they procure the leaves 
for the purpose of feeding it. 
The larvæ were imbedded in a soft woolly matter which proved 
to be the finely masticated parenchyma of the leaves. Thus a 
use was found for the leaves, although it reflects seriously upon 
the supposed sagacity of the ants that they should procure so 
many more than are required for the purpose. Bates states that 
the leaves are also used for thatching the domes over the en- 
trances to the mines, but I have not observed this practice in con- 
nection with the Trinidad species. The larvæ are fed by juices 
secreted by the nurses. A part of the larve emerge from the 
eggs winged and ready for their nuptial flight. These are the 
males and females, and the swarming occurs during the wet sea- 
son. The female measures an inch in length and two inches in 
expanse of wing. The wings are clear, transparent and coarsely 
veined. The winged males and females emerge from the woods 
in clouds during the rains of April and May. These are almost 
all destroyed by the flycatchers,. jackamars, ant-thrushes, &c., 
which greedily devour them; only a tew impregnated females sur- 
vive the slaughter to found new colonies and propagate their 
race. The colony is sustained, I suppose, as in other species, by 
the seizure and -detention of impregnated females by their own 
subjects, After impregnation the female loses her wings, these 
being broken off by the insect itself. There may be noticed a 
natural suture at the base of the wing, doubtless that this may 
be easily broken off when no longer required. 
THE TEREDO, OR SHIPWORM. 
BY R. E. C. STEARNS. ; 
r ERE are several species of what are popularly called “ shi 
worms” which are ordinarily included under the name 
Teredo. Although to the common observer they have a worm- 
like appearance, they are not worms, but true shell-bearing mol- 
lusks, as much so as the common “ long clam,” “long-necked - 
clam” or “mananose” (Mya arenaria) of the Atlantic coast of 
the United States, 
So much has been written in relation to the shipworms that it 
