162 
roots, and perhaps applying a poison which would in all probability 
lose its noxious properties after a few hours exposure. 
The nest itself was about two feet in diameter, and constructed 
round a concealed stump, which had been buried by the earth removed 
from the drain. 
This main nest was tracked down by following the burrows which 
always ramify in many directions from attacked Rubber trees. The 
burrows on flat alluvial land are situated from 1-2 feet below the 
surface ; they are coated with a thin layer of red substance, are con- 
structed horizontally, fairly broad and about j inch high, thus forming 
a passage into which a thick paper knife or a microscope slide could 
be easily inserted. 
Within these burrows soldiers and workers are often present, and 
when near a large nest young will usually be found. Occasionally 
large open spaces are met with, but these are never lenticular in shape 
such as are formed by several other species. Such spaces are con- 
structed in the same general plan as the burrows but extend over a 
greater portion of ground ; the distance between floor and roof is about 
i inch. 
Ramifying from the spaces are burrows which usually present 
marked differences in size, those leading to subsidiary nests being the 
larger ones, the smaller terminating in small dead stumps. Thus if 
tracking these burrows the smaller ones should be left alone as being of 
little importance and the larger ones followed which in most cases lead 
to subsidiary nests. 
These are always, as far as my own investigations go, constructed 
around or inside old stumps, buried trees, or within fallen trees on the 
surface of the ground. The buried stumps and trees are often rotten 
but T. gestroi has no aversion to trees in this condition. The 
subsidiary nests often contain thousands of individuals and from the 
former thre issue many burrows one or more of which may encircle 
rubber trees. 
When this happens the encircled tree is often entirely unaffected 
by the presence of the ants in their enclosed tunnel, which ultimately 
connects with other nests. 
That some young rubber trees are attacked and others left alone 
appears to me to be attributable to the lack or presence of food other 
than living w T ood. 
Indications and Method of Attack of Termes Gestroi. 
In most insect diseases affecting cultivated plants there occur 
evidences of the presence of the pest even is the earliest stages, the 
disease being treated accordingly, thus preventing or at least minimiz- 
ing the chance of its spreading or becoming serious. 
With Gestroi attack on rubber trees such evidences are often 
entirely absent until the damage done is beyond redemption. In such 
cases the tree is either blown down or falls, when its hollow trunk 
shows that it has been attacked by Gestroi. In the majority of 
instances trees which are attacked from below in this manner or 
impossible to cure since one cannot detect that they are in any way 
unhealthy owing to the absolute lack of any external signs of disease 
