ants' nests. 369 



with other magnificent specimens of this plant and of its relative, 

 Mynnecodia, which has often been sketched, was sent to me 

 recently from Java through the kindness of my friend and col- 

 league, Dr. Ad, Frick, of Zurich. The enormous bulb of this 

 plant, which lives as a parasite upon trees, is always pierced by a 

 hollow labyrinth, as represented by the cross section in our figure. 

 Now, this hollow labyrinth, according to the observations of 

 Forbes, Beccari, Treub, and others, 'as well as that of Myrmecodia, 

 is always inhabited by ants, which issue from little openings near 

 the point of departure of the roots, and fiercely attack every one 

 who approaches, so that the natives are very unwilling to fetch 

 these plants. Three species of ants — Iridomyrmex cordatus, 

 Smith, Cremastogaster defonnis, Sm., and Fheidolejava?ta, Mayr — 

 were found in Myrmecodia and in Hydfwphytum. While, however, 

 Iridomyrmex seems to make its appearance always in these plants 

 only, Pheidok javana is very widespread in the Sunda Islands, 

 and makes its nests in other ways besides. Emery is, therefore, 

 of the opinion, which is doubtless correct, that Pheidok merely 

 robs the nests of Iridomyrmex occasionally, and is not adapted to 

 the plant. On the other hand, Emery regards Cremastogaster 

 deformis as the constant guest of the Hydnophytum. In all the 

 Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum bulbs that I received in alcohol 

 through Dr. Frick there was a colony of the smaller, darker Java- 

 nese variety of Iridomyrmex cordatus, Smith (var. Myrmecodice, 

 Emery), including males, a few pregnant females, and numerous 

 larvae and pupae. All the specimens of the plant had the same 

 hollow labyrinth, looking like a nest built by ants. It must be 

 added that the genus Iridomyrinex is very closely related to 

 Azteca and Liometopum, but comprises many species which build 

 nests of earth. 



Now, Treub has ascertained {Annals of the Botonical Garden 

 of Buitetizorg, Vol. VII., 1888, p. 191) that Myrmecodia raised 

 from seeds in hothouses and in the botanical garden of Buitenzorg 

 develop the whole hollow labyrinth in their bulbs, to complete 

 maturity, without the presence of ants, just as well as those which, 

 in a state of freedom, possess ants. At the same time the plants 

 thrive admirably. This proves that the labyrinth is produced by 

 the plant, and not by the ants, though Beccari repeatedly found 



