TERMITES IN THE CANAL ZONE AND PANAMA. 7 
with abdomen greatly distended; this queen measured 22 milli- 
meters in length and 4.5 millimeters in width. The shelter tunnels 
were small, about one-fourth inch in width. 
Lcueotermes tenuis was found on Xovember 15, 1921, infest ing 
redwood window sills and frames at Ancon. These sills faced the 
inner court of the board of health laboratory and supported the 18- 
mesh wire screens. The termites Avere on both the first and second 
floors and in both places were making covered galleries along the 
concrete side, in a downward direction. In 24 hours they con- 
structed from 8 to 15 inches of these galleries. On the first floor 
the galleries were in the direction of the drain pipe, and although 
repeatedly brushed away, were always reconstructed in the same 
general direction. The screens are always well wetted with a hose 
every Friday, so as to be clean of dust, etc, and consequently the 
wooden sills also get wet. The redwood quarter-round was taken out 
and found to be decayed in places and wet. The sill proper, of 2- 
inch material, was not flush against the concrete, hence was not very 
wet, excepting where the small wedges held it in place. The term- 
ites were only in the decaying parts of the redwood, not in any 
sound wood. As a remedy, the affected sections of wood were 
cleaned of decayed and infested material, then wetted with a strong 
solution of sodium fluorid, and new quarter-round strips put in. the 
flat surfaces of which were painted with the sodium fluorid. To 
date (June 20, 1922) there have been no further signs of the term- 
ites. This, of course does not necessarily imply that the sodium 
fluorid was responsible for repelling them. No termitarium was 
found anywhere. 
At Ancon, Canal Zone, on November 23, 1921, workers and a very 
few soldiers of this termite were found in an old piece of discarded 
wood of a stairway. This indicates a habit similar to that of 
species of Eeticulitermes which will infest any wood, sound or de- 
cayed, lying on or in contact with the ground for even short periods 
of time. 
On November 29, 1921, Zetek and Molino found workers and sol- 
diers of this termite in Spillway Tunnel, Miraflores, Canal Zone, TO feet 
below the surface. These termites were found only in the west end 
of this long tunnel, and apparently had entered through that end, 
following the stairway, along the walls. Their galleries along these 
walls were very numerous (PL IV, A, B, €)'. The top of the tunnel 
is a flat arch,' and at the west end there is a tall vertical shaft 
leading to the floor of the entrance to the tunnel. "Where the ceil- 
ing of the flat arch meets the vertical shaft wall it was found that 
in several places the termite galleries, which followed the surface. 
Description of Plate IV. 
Injury by the termitd bmcotermes tenuis to lead-covered cables at Mirafi 
Locks, f. '/..: l. View along eoncrete wall in tunnol in spillway, 7" feel below surface, 
showing characteristic galleries. Black circle is hole loft after a piece of wood was 
taken out. This wood was coniplote.lv tunneled by the termites. Small black spots on 
concrete are bits <>i crude oil or paint. November 19. 1921. /;. C, Characteristic dews 
of termite galleries, taken by E. St. Clair Clayton by flashlight, in tunnel below spill- 
way. Galleries were very numerous, standing out in bold relief upon white concrete, 'n 
places they were seen to lead to moisture. November, 1921. />. E, Flashlight vie* 
tunnels of termite L. tenuis to show how sometimes shelter tubes projed : 
forming branching structures. Workers were seen frequently in openings ai ends of 
these tunnels, building them up further. View taken in lo-i^- tunnel below spillwaj 
Miraflores, 70 feet below surface. White pari is concr te ceiling of tunnel, lark portion 
Lng to surface 7«) feet above. November 19, 1921. 
