167 



In the more northern West Indian Islands however, this pest 

 (happily for cultivators) has not yet been found. Notwithstanding 

 the fact that the Parasol Ant is practically ubiquitous in Trinidad, 

 not a spot in the whole Island being safe from attack, the life history 

 of the insect is but little known to the ordinary cultivator, and it had 

 up to a recent date received but little attention from the scientific 

 world. Of late, however, observations have been carried out which 

 have considerably increased our knowledge of the habits and charac- 

 teristics of these insects, and it is now seen, as in many previous cases 

 where the life history of insects has been properly studied, that a 

 close attention to the facts will better enable a persistent attack to be 

 maintained upon insects which must be considered as deadly foes 

 to all Agricultural and Horticultural operations. 



Classification. 



Under the name Parasol Ant must be included several genera 



and species of ants. Professor Forel who is a w«ll-known authority 



gives the following in a publication dated 1893 : — 



Qenus. Atta. 



Atta lutea. , n. sp. , Forel. 



A — aexdens, Latr. 



A — nigra, Smith. 



A — siibterranea. , n.sp., Fox-el. 



A — octospiiiosa. , Reich. 



A — Moelleri., n.sp., Forel. 



A — coronata. , Fabr. 



A — Urichii., n.sp., Forel. 

 Oemis. Apterostigma. 



Apterostigma Urichii., n.sp., Forel. 



A Mayi'i., n.sp., Forel. 



A Wasmanii., Forel. 



Genus. Cyphomyrmex. 



Cyphomyrmex olitor., n.sp. 



C strigatus., Mayr. 



Some of the above are placed iinder sub-genera by this author. 



Many of these genera are present in Trinidad, so that we have 

 not one " Parasol Ant," but several, different in form but similar in 

 habit. All the fungus eaters however are not to be taken and recog- 

 nised as " Parasol Ants." This may be done Avith many species, biit 

 some, although fungus growers are known to use other material than 

 vegetable tissue, for the preparation of their "' Gardens" as they are 



called by Moller. 



Natural Histort, 



The more important of these insects from a planter's point of 



view are the two species whose names are at the head of this paper, 



viz., Atta cephalotes, and Atta octospinosa. The latter mostly inhabit 



the neighbourhood of towns or villages, the former being more com- 



