372 Proceedings of the Boi/al Society of Victoria. 



The beetles more commonh' found in ants' nests belong to the 

 families Pselaphidae and Scydmaenidae. In fact, there are but 

 few nests of many kinds of aiits that on careful examination 

 will not be found to contain specimens of one family or the 

 other. The genus Articerus, of the former family, contains a 

 larger number of species than any other genus of beetles found 

 with ants in Australia, and specimens of it are sometimes found 

 associated with termites as well ; it is readily recognised by its 

 one-jointed antennae. Representatives of its sub-family (the 

 Clavigerides) occur in ants' nests all over the world, and many 

 of them, including several blind genera, are remarkably formed. 

 There are, however, hosts of species to be taken in ants' nests, 

 and probably more than half of the whole family (a large one 

 in Australia) are to be so taken, although many of the species 

 hitherto described have not been so recorded, having been 

 taken during floods, or at sunset on tops of fences, etc., when 

 they have come out to pair. The allied family Scydmaenidae is 

 also rich in species, which occur in ants' nests. The members 

 of both these families are certainly welcomed by the ants, and 

 I have on several occasions seen species of each carrying off 

 Acaridae, Avhich often abound in the nests of ants, and cannot 

 but be injurious to them. 



On the other hand, the sculpture of the species of Nepharis 

 and Kershawia is such as to leave no doubt but that they prey 

 upon the ants, and that these are hostile to them ; every one of 

 their appendages is admirably protected, the antennae and all 

 2)arts of the legs fit into appropriate grooves, and even the eyes 

 are protected by tubercles or ridges at their sides, and are 

 unusually small. 



The Ptinidae (all of which are apterous) move about very 

 deliberately in the nests, and are apparently untouched by the 

 ants, but they can scarcely be welcome visitors, to judge by the 

 smallness of the palpi and the way their legs are grooved. 



There are many species of Staphylinidae to be taken in nests 

 of both ants and termites ; of the species known to me most 

 belong to Dabra or to allied genera, but there are several very 

 anomalous forms. Several British species of the family are sup- 

 posed to be kept as slaves by ants. 



