166 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



outskirts of this living mass, and placed them close 

 in, and higher. 



Some moist loaf sugar was put in the box, and 

 they began to get excited again as my hand went 

 near, but they calmed down again and rushed for 

 the sugar. 



It was interesting to note that they left two of 

 the large pupae quite apart, and a few came to them 

 every now and again, and w^alked over them, and 

 sometimes stood on them, tapping gently with their 

 antennae. I presumed these pupge were nearing 

 the time of emergence into the imago or perfect 

 ant. 



It was noted that w^hen one ant, which had got a 

 severe soaking in the water, died, a worker seized 

 the dead body, and took it to a far corner of the 

 box. 



Observation 2. — Ant Campouotus nigriceps- 



District from which taken — Mosman. 



Date — ^January. 



I will not describe here the initiation of the 

 ants into their new home, as this has been prev- 

 iously done. One can note, however, how various 

 kinds of ants act very differently under similar con- 

 ditions. Most of the ants I have tried, however, 

 are much agitated when first placed in the home 

 made for them. 



Experiments with artificial feeding. 



After having with success fed and reared wasps 

 on Benger's and Allenbur3^'s food, I tried to do 

 si^iilarl^ with the larvae of ar^ts, 



