62 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



curious is that they usually appear at the end of the cold weather or 

 the commencement of the hot, that is, from middle of February to 

 middle of March, when winged ants of other genera can hardly be 

 found. 



My last nest of Borr/lm was found on the Esplanade, Bombay, on 

 January 29th, 1886 ; it was my last visit to India, and I was starting 

 for an evening walk, when not a hundred yards from the clock-tower 

 of the University I noticed a strong body of the workers very busy 

 round the entrance to a burrow just at the edge of the tuft r and a 

 second glance showed me they had some object in this burrow that 

 they were particularly anxious and jealous about, and, stooping down r 

 I pulled out what from the colouring of the head, legs, and antennse (so 

 exactly like the workers of Dorylm), if I did not actually believe, I 

 at least fondly hoped was the female, which I had been looking for 

 for so many years. I rushed back to the Esplanade Hotel, got my 

 collecting-bottle and a knife, returned to the spot, and this time dug 

 up the nest without waiting. I found two more of these suspicious- 

 looking insects, and from the curious, fussy, jealous, and at the same 

 time half-respectful, behaviour of the workers, my hopes as to the 

 genuineness of my find considerably rose. I got three nice little 

 bottles filled with rum, and by the next mail sent them off to Professor 

 Westwood and Mr. Edward Saunders, who kindly wrote me by return 

 of post that my capture was only the " larva of some Lamellieorn beetle.*" 

 What Dwyltts does with these larvae I should much like to know ; but 

 my fondest hopes were dashed to the ground, and after fourteen 

 years of careful search I left India, I fear for good, without finding 

 \ih.e female of Dorylus. 



Lobopelfa diminuta, Smith. 

 This ant is common enough in Bengal, but I have never found any 

 nest ; it is always on the march, and moves in lines two deep, and 

 from a few feet to many yards long. The longest column I have 

 met with was in the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, and measured a 

 little over thirty yards. It marches at a great pace, and seems to 

 prefer shady and damp situations ; a number of the workers will 

 always be seen carrying their pupae with them, which they do by 

 holding them under their bodies, and walking as it were over 

 them. 



