Sept., '06J ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 265 



CONCERNING Monomorium destructor Jerdon. In a brief paper on cer- 

 tain tropical ants introduced into the United States, published in the Janu- 

 ary number of the ENT. NEWS, T recorded the occurrence of a well-known 

 Indian ant, MonomoriuW destructor, in Alabama and Florida. The 

 specimens from which this record was made were collected by Mr. Clar- 

 ence R. Moore and sent to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. From 

 the occurrence of the ants in two such widely separated localities, 1 in- 

 ferred that these insects must have been recently introduced at different 

 points on the Gulf Coast or were already widely distributed through the 

 Southern States. 



Since the publication of my paper. Dr. Skinner has kindly called my 

 attention to certain facts which put the matter in a different light. He 

 writes me that Mr. Moore frequently sends to the Academy sacks of earth 

 from various localities in the Southern States. This earth is sorted over 

 for small snails, and it was from such earth from Black Warrior River, 

 Alabama, and Seminole Point, Florida, that the specimens of J\f. destruc- 

 tor were taken. The following letter from Mr. Moore to Dr. Skinner 

 gives an interesting and satisfactory explanation of their supposed occur- 

 rence in the two localities: " I am inclined to think that the tropical ants 

 are not found in the localities named in the article describing the ants. 

 My boat is infested by myriads of these ants, and, no doubt, they got into 

 packages of snails from the places named, after the snails had been 

 brought aboad the steamer. 



These ants do not make their appearance in cool weather, but appear 

 in myriads when the hot weather sets in. They are fierce little chaps. 

 One night I awoke with my legs stinging all over. I found the ants had 

 swarmed into my bed and had been biting my legs. I found them with 

 their noses buried in the skin. 



No doubt the ants got aboard originally at some shipping centre, prob- 

 ably Jacksonville or Savannah." 



It is probable that M. destructor has reached the ports mentioned by 

 Mr. Moore or other ports in the Southern States, from the West Indies. 

 Ernest Andr6 recorded its occurrence in Jamaica (Revue d'Entomol., 

 1893, p, 152,) and I recently saw a colony nesting at the foot of a tree near 

 Tallaboa on the southern coast of Porto Rico. WM. M. WHEELER. 



Doings of Societies. 



A meeting of the Feldman Collecting Social was held at the 

 residence of Dr. Henry Skinner, 716 N. 2oth Street, Philadel- 

 phia, on April 18, 1906. Mr. Erich Daecke, President, in the 

 chair. Nine members were present, and Mr. H. A. Wenzel, 

 visitor. 



