1923] 
Book Review 
133 
BOOK REVIEW 
“Les Termites. Partie Generale.” by E. Hegh. Bruxelles, 
September 1922. published by Imprimerie Industrielle & Financiere 
(Societe Anonyme), 4 rue de Berlaimont, Bruxelles. Price 
$6.00. 756 pp., 460 figs. Review by Alfred Emerson, 
Department of Zoology, University of Pittsburgh. 
Mr. Hegh has done a remarkable piece of work in the 
gathering of information and the arranging of facts which have 
been brought together in this large book (756 pages) profusely 
illustrated with the best drawings and photographs which have 
been published on termites. 
It is a compilation, but a compilation of such thoroughness 
that one has no hesitation in pronouncing it as valuable to 
students of termites and to entomologists in general as new 
extended observations on the insects would be. Although ter- 
mites (Isoptera) constitute one of the smaller orders, there 
being a little over 1000 species described and a bibliography of 
a little more than 1200 titles, the gathering of all the important 
biological material is an enormous task. 
Everything known at the present time concerning the 
biology of this fascinating group of social insects is dealt with; 
their geographical distribution; their caste system and the 
function of the various castes in all the groups of termites ; their 
nourishment and modes of obtaining it; their nests, the classi- 
fication and construction of the nest; their predaceous enemies, 
parasites, termitophiles, and associates; their influence on 
vegetation and physiography; the utilization of termites as 
food by man; these and many other subjects are dealt with in a 
most thorough manner. An extended bibliography is added 
with a list of the African species. 
The economic problems are not emphasized although 
many photographs of their damage are given and their feeding 
habits are discussed at great length. Methods of control are 
not discussed. It is a monograph on the biology of this group. 
Of course the errors made by the various students of termites 
