io8 
being attacked by species of termites. A copy of this report, to 
which I shall allude later, was sent to me together with three 
different specimens of the termites committing the damage. 
Two of these have now been identified by M. DESNEUX, the 
well-known authority on the Termitidse , as Termes Gestroi and a 
species of Termes closely allied to T. anmmensis, Desn,, which had 
previously been reported from Annam. No identification of the 
remaining specimens sent has yet been found possible owing to 
workers only having been received. We will consider these insects 
in detail : — 
Termes Gestroi . 
The workers are elongate, pale yellowish white insects with the 
head small, pale; the first thoracic segment enlarged and broader 
than the two following. 
The body is oval, broader than the meso, and metathorax and 
bluntly pointed posteriorly. Length ^th inch. 
The soldier is smaller than the worker. The mandibles black, 
prominent and crossed over one another. First thoracic segment 
enlarged and orange in colour ; rest of insect yellower than in 
worker; legs more elongate and powerful. Length i / 5 th inch. 
According to Mr. RYAN this termite attacks the tree at the crown 
of the root and eats its way upwards, hollowing out the trunk. 
Since the white ants commence their work well below the ground, 
there is no indication of their presence until the trees begin to show 
signs of withering. The damage has then gone too far for it to be 
possible to save the attacked tree. The branches begin to die and 
drop and the tree itself falls in the first strong breeze. 
It would appear that Termes Gestroi attacks the tree for the pur- 
pose of obtaining the rubber from it, for, on applying pressure to 
the bodies of the termites, it was found that the majority of them 
were full of fresh latex. They apparently collect and store the 
rubber, masses of rubber being found as a rule in the nests, which 
are usually situated at the crown of the root. From one of these 
nests situated at the base of a three-foot girth tree as much as 2 lbs. 
of rubber was collected. , 
An examination of the crown portion of the root of a tree show's 
that the main direction of the galleries made by the termite is hori- 
zontal, i.e., parallel with the long axis. These galleries are of 
considerable size, ramifying a great deal, have smooth sides, and are 
connected here and there by hcles or short galleries eaten out in a 
vertical direction. The galleries practically form an intricate mass 
of chambers which are kept quite free of earth and some of which 
are evidently stored with a certain amount of rubber. In the speci- 
men of the root I have examined, it is apparent that the work of the 
termite is entirely confined to the crown of the root, none of the 
tunnels extending upwards into the stem (in the present case stems, 
for there were two taking off from the root), 
