42 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



Camponotwi sylvaticus, Oliv. 

 This is a common species in Bengal, and can be found on most 

 tree-trunks ; it delights in shade, and forms its nests (which are 

 never populous) in the ground under leaves. The workers are very 

 active and extremely fragile, and it is difficult to secure perfect spe- 

 cimens. Specimens even from the same nest will vary greatly in 

 colour. 



Polyrhachis loevissimiis, Sm. 



This ant forms its nests in the decayed wood of trees, covering the 

 entrances to its burrows with a thick papyraceous material, which 

 might be best described as a " small -hands " made in the substance 

 of a " tissue" ; it is by no means a common ant, and I have hardly 

 found half-a-dozen nests during my residence in India, and these 

 have all been in Bengal. My finest nest is situated in a tree (a species 

 of Acacia) in Barrackpore Park, on the south side of the tennis- 

 ground, close to the Chirya Khana (aviary). This nest has a web 

 stretched across a portion of the decayed trunk fully 18 inches broad 

 by 2 feet in length, and is very populous ; this nest swarms about the 

 commencement of the rains, June 15th to July 7th. It is a strikingly 

 handsome species, with its shining jet-black head and body, relieved 

 and set off by the red legs. It often reminded me of our English 

 F. fuliginosa in general appearance and habits, and always seemed 

 like an old friend, but though I spent many hoiirs for many years 

 watching this nest, I never detected any special trait or character 

 worth recording. I never found any other species in the nest nor 

 Aphidrc, and, as far as I could observe, the ants derived their nourish- 

 ment from the rich, black, moist mould of the decaying wood. They 

 are a gentle species of ant, and can be handled without inconvenience. 



Pok/rhachis Schrinax, Roger. 

 This ant forms its nest by binding together with one or two silky 

 threads a couple of leaves of a shrub ; it only contains a few indivi- 

 duals, and is decidedly rare. The same remarks apply to Pohjvhachk 

 bicolor, Smith. 



Polyrhachis xpinigcr, Mayr. 

 This is a common species in Bengal, but the nests are not easily 

 found ; they are formed by web-work binding together a few twigs 



