103 



When hearing a drain the .7'. Gestroi runs are usual Iy 

 found at a greater depth than elsewhere this is no doubt 

 due to the facility with which the termites are able to 

 penetrate the soil which has become freer owing to good 

 drainage. 



Importance of distinguishing the various termites. 



Mr. Pratt ment ions that T. pallid us occupies the dis- 

 used termitaria of T. Malayan us and T. carbanarius, I have 

 since found that they also occupy the termitaria of T. Ges- 

 troi and have had several queens brought to me for reward, 

 these were contained in timber and surrounded by un- 

 mistakable individuals of T. pallidus. 



On one occasion the coolies were following up T. 

 Gestroi under my personal supervision when they came on 

 a small piece of timber, two feet below the surface of the 

 ground, it was about one foot in length and four inches in 

 diameter and contained the Queen and myriads of in- 

 dividuals of T. pallidas as well as many soldiers and work- 

 ers of T. Gestroi. 



I have found T. Gestroi in close association with T. 

 Malay anus and T. carbonarips as well as T. pallidus but 

 there is no difficulty in distinguishing one from the other by 

 their soldiers, there is also a wide difference in the general 

 appearance of the Queens though a great similarity in the 

 workers. 



Mr. Pratt gives us the difference of the various ter- 

 mites as far as possible on page 3 of his notes, but I think 

 it would be of more practical value to planters if specimen 

 cases of the termites, showing the individuals separately, 

 were exhibited in some convenient and central spot. 



Insecticides for the eradication of Termes Gestroi. 



To anyone who has followed up a T. Gestroi tunnel, 

 ramifying as it does sometimes for hundreds of feet, or has 

 seen the interior of a termitarium with its myriads of in- 

 dividuals, the utter futility of attempting to eradicate the 

 pest by means of insecticides must be apparent, but insecti- 

 cides will be found useful in killing the comparatively few 

 individuals which continue their attack for some time after 

 their termitarium is destroyed. I see that the custom of 

 applying lime to the tree attacked still continues on some 

 estates. This is utterly useless as a preventative, or even 

 as a means of keeping the termites in check : but it is useful 

 as a means of marking the trees attacked. 



