TERMITES IN THE CANAL ZONE AND PANAMA. 19 
away from the insect. There is a very pungent, nauseating odor 
about these termites. 
No queens were found, although practically every bit of the nest 
was examined carefully. The number of workers and soldiers was 
simply stupendous. They walk either forward or backward witli 
considerable speed. When uncovered on the ground, they crawl 
away in several columns, two or three termites abreast, and seek some 
dark place, into which they pour in great numbers. 
Several pockets were found in the nest in which were a large 
number of very young termites. When these were disturbed certain 
workers began to pick them up and hasten away with them. 
Specimens of this termite were also taken from galleries at the 
base of lamp-post 600 and were probably part of the nest in the 
service box. 
POSSIBLE MECHANICAL CARRIAGE OF NEMATODE. 
On February 23, 1922, Zetek and Molino found this termite work- 
ing inside of the trunk of a 4-year-old live coconut palm (Cocos 
nucifera) back of house 259. Ancon. Canal Zone. This is an im- 
portant observation, because Dr. X. A. Cobb, agricultural technolo- 
gist of the United States Department of Agriculture, and Mr. Zetek 
had made inoculations into the roots and some petioles of this palm 
of the nematode Aphelenchus cocophilus, which causes " red-ring " 
disease of coconut palms. Later, when some of the infested roots 
were taken up, workers and nasuti of this termite were found. Thus 
species of Xasutitermes may prove to be mechanical carriers of this 
nematode. 
It is a common sight in the Tropics and subtropics to see earthlike 
shelter galleries and carton " niggerhead " nests made by species of 
Xasutitermes on the trunks of coconut palms, the tubes running from 
base to crown like delicate graceful dark pencilings on the trunks 
and the nest often being in the tops of the trees. These termites 
also burrow into the wood of the trunks and sometimes in the Wesl 
Indies the queen is in the wood of the tree rather than within the 
carton nest. Hence, if it should be proved that these termites are 
mechanical carriers of the nema. it would be a serious matter to 
eradicate them. Doctor Cobb kindly examined specimens of workers 
and soldiers of Nmutitermes ephratae taken from this infested palm 
at Ancon. but found no trace of the nematode Aphelenchus cocophilus. 
He says: "I think that you are right in suspecting that these ants 
might be carriers of this nema. Their habits would seem to put them 
under suspicion, but. at any rate in this case, they do not seem 
to have been carrying them." 
Workers and nasuti of this termite were collected on a live fan 
palm on May 29. 1922, at Matias Hernandez, by Zetek. 
A first- form queen of Xasutitermes ephraiae collected in a small 
carton tree nest on a mango tree in an avocado plantation at 
Frijoles. Canal Zone, on February 19. 1921. by Zetek and Molino, 
measured 21 millimeters in length and 4.5 millimeter- in width. 
A large elliptical termitarium of Nasutitermes eph/mtae, 2 feet 
by H feet in size, with tunnels leading to it. was found attached to 
the base of two petioles of a coconut palm at Corozal. Canal Zone, 
in a small coconut <rrove about 8 vears old. On the ground was an- 
