Smith. — On New Zealand Ants. 471 



AccBiia viicrophylla, aud many other plants growing in poor 

 situations. In the bottoms of some of the valleys of the 

 Gawler Downs, Mount Somers, I have met with very large 

 colonies under stones lying among the mixed vegetation. On 

 the roots of Phnelea, Poa, and other plants were groups of a 

 large slate-coloured form of Dactylopius poce, Maskell. They 

 were firmly attached to the roots, and did not appear to be 

 molested by the ants. In order to test their relations I care- 

 fully detached a few and dropped them in the midst of the 

 throng of excited ants. They were instantly seized by workers 

 and carried into the dark galleries. On one occasion we 

 noticed some extremely minute transparent- winged flies rise 

 from the underside of the stone when turned over. The nest 

 contained over sixty adult females of D. jmcb, and possibly 

 these minute flies were the males of this Coccid. 



The presence of certain plants in some localities explains 

 the presence of ants' nests near them. The roots of Accena 

 micropJujlla are particularly liable to the attacks of D. arecce, 

 and a species of root-feeding white woolly Aj)his. Both insects 

 are a great attraction to this ant, which forms clear passages 

 alongside the Aphis- and Coccid-infested roots. These tracks 

 are frequently traversed by the ants who attend on and obtain 

 food from these rhizophagous insects. I have occasionally 

 observed the ants moving leisurely over the Aphis and Coccids, 

 gently stroking them with their antennae, and moving their 

 woolly and cottony secretions. The latter when freshly secre- 

 ted unquestionably contains a sweetish moisture, which attracts 

 the ants, and is much relished by them. The three economic 

 insects alluded to above are the only species we have observed 

 in the nests of, or being attended by, this fine ant. It is an 

 enchanting scene in ant-life to gently turn over a large stone 

 and look into a populous colony of H. striata. From Sep- 

 tember to January the courts and galleries of the nests con- 

 tain groups of eggs and larvae of different ages. When the 

 light and air is admitted the eggs and larvae are rapidly seized 

 by the workers and borne aw^ay to places of safety in the 

 inner galleries of the nest. The queens are very timid, and 

 disappear into their chambers immediately the stone is raised. 

 When examining the structure of the galleries we have occa- 

 sionally found it difficult to trace the queens to their hiding- 

 places in the nest. The galleries generally ramify in many 

 directions, and often to considerable depths, especially when 

 the site of the nest is on stony ground. I have observed young 

 winged queens, males, and neuters of H. striata appearing 

 earlier in their nests than in the nests of all other species 

 occurring in Canterbury. They begin to appear about the 

 10th November, and continue to add to their number until 

 they swarm m February. A calm, sultry day is chosen for 



