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It will be unwise, however, to allow taban to be planted in the 
immediate vicinity either of Para or Rambong. 
Notes on the above Paper. 
Mr. Robinson says that Termes umbrinus apparently feeds 
on leaves and twigs. It, however, is a fungus grower and the 
workers collect scrapings of algae and fungi apparently, from 
bark of trees, posts, etc. It often makes its nest in the fork or at 
the base of trees, especially large ones, and frequently causes 
decay of the bark and wood beneath, and sometimes puts its nest 
in houses or stores, between the beams, which sooner or later 
decay, otherwise it does no harm. 
Among trees I have seen attacked by Termes gestroi are the 
marking nnt. Semecarpus anacardium ; Mimosa sept ana, and 
Garcinia andersoni. I ..ave nfever seen it attacking trees when 
grass is grown round them, and it is quite possible that trees 
growm as they are in the Botanic Gardens in grass would not be 
attacked at all. Experiments ai;e wanted in this direction- 
Influence of soil upon termites is certainly as Mr. Robinson 
states. In sandy soil the underground termites cannot make 
nests as thev would collapse. I noticed a great absence of 
termites in the sandy woods of Pahang, nor are there any in the 
damp parts of the garden where a quantity of the rubber trees 
are growing. Termes gestroi is strictly a woodland species, 
and disappears altogether in land that has been long under such 
cultivation as indigo or sugar, even if this land has been allowed 
to revert to scrub. 
With respect to the remedies proposed by Mr. Robinson, 
while it is true that termites object strongly to mghtsoil, or 
decaying animal matter this does not apply to the dong of 
herbivorous animals. Horse or cow dung when at all dry is 
often removed to the nest very quickly by Termes Malayanus. 
As to the use of the mound building species of termites m 
playing the part of earth worms here, as they certainly do m 
Africa, I have long ago pointed out ( Bulletin , OM Senes, p. 02) 
that it may be considered extremely doubtful whether they do 
not so destroy the dead timber, etc., that it is useless as plant 
f °lJnder the heading natural enemies of termites, Mr. Robinson 
has somehow omitted the Tengiling or Seal)' mams (Mams 
Tavanica). This animal lives almost exclusively on termites, 
chiefly on T. Malayense, burrowing into the nests and licking up 
the termites with its long tongue. It is quite common, but as it 
only comes out of the ground at night it is comparatively rarely 
seen.— Ed. 
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