418 
AUSTRALIAN TERMtTTDM, 
At the present time three species of termites are found in 
Europe, and though they are chiefly distributed along the coast 
of the Mediterranean and the warmer portions of Southern 
Europe, one species has been recorded from as far north as 
Odessa, Russia, where it is said to have done a considerable 
amount of damage. Of the three species now acclimatised in 
Southern Europe, only one is said to be indigenous, Termes 
lucifugus, which was known to exist in France at a very early 
date, though it was not until 1853 that it was reported to have 
committed any noticeable depredations.'* Early in this year they 
appeared everywhere as a regular plague in the city of Rochelle, 
and not content with eating up the wood, found their way into 
the city archives and destroyed many of the State documents. 
This species now ranges over the whole of the southern pro- 
vinces of France, through the Spanish Peninsula, Italy, Sicily, 
Sardinia, the Morea, Turkey, Cypress, Egypt and Madeira. 
A good deal has been written about this species, the latest 
being Professor Grassi and Dr. Sandias' splendid Monograph on 
the termites of Catania, f containing an exhaustive account of this 
species. 
The second species, T. flavicollis, Fab., was originally a North 
African termite found at Barbary and Algiers, from whence it 
has made its way along the European side of the Mediterranean, 
being found in most of the localities infested by the previous 
species. 
The third, T. Jlavipes, is the common North American species, 
which has been introduced into Europe, probably in the first 
instance with logs of timber, and has been discovered as far east 
as the Bath House of Schoenbruin at Vienna. 
Many instances have been recorded of small colonies of 
termites having been introduced into botanical gardens and hot 
* A. de Quatrefages. Notes on the Termites of Rochelle. Ann. Sci. 
Nat. (3 e ser.) Zool. xx. 1853, pp. 16-21. 
f Prof. B. Grassi and Dr. A. Sandias. Atti dell' Accademia Gioenia 
di Sc. Nat. in Catania. Ser. 4, Vol. vi. 1894. 
