82 THE ENTOMOLOGY OF THE GRASS-TREES. 



head behind the eyes covered with greyish white hairs, thorax, 

 legs, and under surface of abdomen thickly clothed with black 

 hairs except the sides of the anal segments, which are fringed 

 with white hairs; wings darker than in the male. 



Mr. F. Smith gave a short account* of the habits of this bee, 

 communicated to him by Mr. Ker, who stated that it inhabited 

 the hollow stem of a Zamia or grass tree, the entrance to the 

 tube being rounded like the mouth of a flute. 



DoLiCHODERUS DORi^, Emery. 



These ants are very common about Hornsby, and are very fond 

 of the sweet sugary lerp formed upon the leaves of the Eucalypts 

 by the larvje of several species of Psylla, so that where the lerp 

 is plentiful the leaves are often covered with them, all intent upon 

 the enjoyment of their sweet food. They form their nest between 

 the caudex and dry outer sheath of the dead and dry grass trees, 

 often in such numbers that the cavity between the caudex and 

 the outer mass is a living mass of ants. 



Ant 9, 4 lines in length, head and thorax black, very rugose, 

 the latter armed with a pair of stout spines projecting in front of 

 the pro thorax, with a similar pair at the base of the metathorax, 

 longer and pointing downwards; antennae and legs ferruginous, 

 the node short but stout; abdomen black, covered with a brownish 

 pubescence, heart-shaped, hollowed out in front down the centre, 

 with the outer margins rounded and forming regular rounded tips. 



Iridomyrmex gracilis, Lowne. 



A small slender black ant that makes its nest in the dead 

 flower stalks of the trees, hollowing out the interior in irregular 

 parallel passages, a large nest of them often occupying the whole 

 stalk. 



9. Ants are under 3 lines in length, pitchy brown, with very 

 long slender legs covered with a very fine grey pubescence; head 



* Notes on the Habits of Australian Hymenoptera, Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 London, Vol. i. (2nd ?er.) p. 179, 1850. 



