ioa 
W lien nearing- a drain the T. GestrM runs are usually 
iouiKl at a greater depth than elsewhere this is no doubt 
due to the facility with which the termites are able to 
penetrate the soil which has become freer owing to good 
drainage. & 
Importance of distinguishing the various termites. 
Mi. Pratt mentions that T. pallidas occupies the dis- 
used ternii tana of T . Malay amis and T, carbanarius, I have 
since found that they also occupy the termitaria of T. Ges - 
G°i and have had several queens brought to me for reward, 
these were contained in timber and surrounded by un- 
mistakable individuals of T. pallidus. 
On one occasion the coolies were following up T. 
Gestroi under nrv personal supervision when thev came on 
a small piece of timber, two feet below the surface of the 
ground, it was about one foot in length and four inches in 
diameter and contained the Queen and myriads of in- 
dividuals of T. pallidus as well as many soldiers and work- 
ers ot 1 . Gestroi. 
I have found T. Gestroi in close association with T. 
Malay anus and T. carbanarius as well as T. pallidus but 
there is no difficulty m distinguishing one from the other bv 
their soldiers, there is also a wide difference in the general 
appearance of the Queens though a great similarity in the 
workers. 
All. Pratt gives us the difference of the various ter- 
mites as tar as possible on page 3 of his notes, but I think 
i would be of more practical value to planters if specimen 
cases of the termites, showing the individuals separately 
were exhibited in some convenient and central spot. . * ’ 
Insecticides eor the eradication of Termes Gestroi. 
To anyone who has followed up a T. Gestroi tunnel, 
rami tying as it does sometimes for hundreds of feet, or has 
seen the interior of a termitarium with its myriads of in- 
dividuals, the utter futility of attempting to eradicate the 
pest by means of insecticides must be apparent, hut insecti- 
cides will be found useful in killing the comparatively few 
individuals which continue their attack for some time after 
their termitarium is destroyed. I see that the custom of 
applying lime to the tree attacked still continues on some 
estates. This is utterly useless as a preventative, or even 
as a means of keeping the termites in check: but it is useful 
as a means of marking the trees attacked. 
