4 8g 



It will be unwise, however, to allow taban to be planted in the 

 immediate vicinity either of Para or Rambong. 



Notes on the above Paper. 



Mr. Robinson says that Termes nmbrinus apparently feeds 

 on leaves and twigs. It, however, is a fungus grower, and the 

 workers collect scrapings of algae and fungi apparently, from 

 bark of trees, posts, etc. It often makes its nest in the fork or at 

 the base of trees, especially large ones, and frequently causes 

 decay of the bark and wood beneath, and sometimes puts its nest 

 in houses or stores, between the beams, which sooner or later 

 decay, otherwise it does no harm. 



Among trees I have seen attacked by Termes gestrot are the 

 marking nut. Semecarpus anacardium ; Mimosa sepiaria, and 

 Garcinia cinder soni. I have never seen it attacking trees when 

 grass is grown round them, and it is quite possible that trees 

 grown as they are in the Botanic Gardens in grass would not be 

 attacked at all. Experiments are wanted in this direction. 



Influence of soil upon termites is certainly as Mr. Robinson 

 states. In sandy soil the underground termites cannot make 

 nests as they would collapse. I noticed a great absence of 

 termites in the sandy woods of Pahang, nor are there any in the 

 damp parts of the garden where a quantity of- the rubber trees 

 are growing. Termes gestrot is strictly a woodland species, 

 and disappears altogether in land that has been long under such 

 cultivation as indigo or sugar, even if this land has been allowed 

 to revert to scrub. 



With respect to the remedies proposed by Mr. Robinson, 

 while it is true that termites object strongly to nightsoil, or 

 decaying animal matter this does not apply to the dung of 

 herbivorous animals. Horse or cow dung when at all dry is 

 often removed to the nest very quickly by Termes Malayanus. 



As to the use of the mound building species of termites in 

 playing the part of earth worms here, as the)' certainly do in 

 Africa, I have long ago pointed out (Bulletin, Old Serit-s, p. 82) 

 that it may be considered extremely doubtful whether they do 

 not so destroy the dead timber, etc., that it is useless as plant 

 food. 



Under the heading natural enemies of termites, Mr. Robinson 

 has somehow omitted the Tengiling or Scaly manis (Manis 

 Javanica). This animal lives almost exclusively on termites, 

 chiefly on T. Malayense, burrowing into the nests and licking up 

 the termites with its long tongue. It is quite common, but as it 

 only comes out of the ground at night it is comparatively rarely 

 seen. — Ed. 



