286 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVI, No. 7 
heartwood of the tree with portions of it coming to the surface at various 
places where areas had apparently died following some external injuries. 
In such cases the tunnels were brought through the somewhat hardened 
gum of the tree, which seemed to have been mixed with earth and wood 
particles excreted by the workers. The outer surface of the entire area 
was also covered with the same material. 
The rainy season of the year 1919 in the Canal Zone began on April 14 
and the following day when the nest was found the median line of every 
tunnel that touched and paralleled the surface was open. In these 
openings the soldiers had assembled with their mandibles and antennae 
directed outward and projecting slightly above the surface. When 
Mr. Dietz passed his finger or a camers-hair brush lightly over these 
openings, the soldiers fairly jumped at them and quickly and viciously 
took hold, simultaneously secreting a large globule of a milky white, 
somewhat viscous fluid. All soldiers that were in the least irritated, 
although they were not touched, secreted this fluid synchronously with 
the rest. The source of the fluid is a large frontal gland in the head 
that opens between the jaws. The purpose of the fluid is a protective 
one and Dudley and Beaumont have called attention to the fact that it 
will put an insect enemy of the termites hors de combat. An account 
of the use of such a fluid against ants invading the nest of termites is 
given under the discussion of Nasutitermes cornigera . On the fingers or 
hands the fluid seems to have no effect, and if it has any distinctive 
odor this is obscured by the pungent odor characteristic of all termites. 
Dr. M. Oshima (77), expert zoologist, Government of Formosa, Japan, 
has called attention to the fact that this fluid, secreted by a Formosan 
species of Coptotermes, is able to disintegrate lime mortar; the soldier of 
C. formosanus Shiraki attacks the mortar by dissolving the lime with 
acidulous secretions. No experiments have been made to determine the 
properties of the fluid in the case of the species on the Isthmus of Panama, 
i. e., C. niger. 
Once attached to an object, so tenaciously do the soldiers of this 
species cling that, even if their bodies are tom off, the jaws will not 
release their hold. 
Why the tunnels of this particular nest were open was not definitely 
determined. Some writers have called attention to similar action on 
the part of other species at swarming time, the purpose of the soldiers 
lining the openings of the tunnels being to prevent insect enemies, par¬ 
ticularly ants, from raiding the nest. Restricted diggings into parts of 
this nest, however, failed to disclose any winged forms, and although it 
was watched daily for more than two weeks, no winged forms were 
found emerging. At the end of that time all the tunnels were again 
closed. 
The second collection of this species was made at Gamboa on May 14, 
1919, following a typical tropical downpour of rain, during the close of 
which a heavy swarming of Nasutitermes cornigera took place. The 
nest of the Coptotermes in this case was in an old post which was badly 
riddled. On top of the post, and in several crevices leading down into 
it, dead and injured dealated adults of N. cornigera were found. Appar¬ 
ently these had tried to invade the post to establish new nests and had 
been killed by the Coptotermes soldiers which 5 were on guard just beneath 
the surface. These soldiers were very nervous and immediately began 
secreting considerable quantities of the milky white fluid when their 
nest was disturbed during the collection of specimens. 
