INSECTS
never express surprise when dealing with insects; and for the present we must accept the strange development of the young termites as a matter of fact, and pass on.
Fig. 81. A queen of the third form, or wingless reproductive caste, of Reticulitermes flavipes. (From Banks and Snyder)
During the middle of winter things remain thus in the new family colony. The members of termite species that live in the ground, or that pass from wood into the ground, probably have tunneled deep into the earth for protection from the cold. But in February, the mother termite, now the queen of the brood, responds again to the urge of maternity with some more eggs, probably with a greater number this time than on the first occasion. A month later, or during March, the termitary is once more enlivened with young termites. The king and the queen are now, however, relieved of the routine of nursery duties by the workers of the first brood. The latter take over the feeding and care of their new brothers and sisters, and also do all the excavation work involved in the enlarging of the home.
In the spring the termites ascend to the surface of the ground beneath a board or log, or at the base of a stump, and reoccupy their former habitation. As the galleries are extended, the family moves along, slowly migrating thus to uneaten parts of the wood and leaving the old tunnels behind them mostly packed with excreted wood-pulp and earth.
When June comes again, the young family may consist of several dozen individuals; but all, except the king and
[138]
