1914 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 105 



workers of the colony for the purpose of tiding over the long droughts (e.g. the 

 honey ants of the South-western States and Australia belonging to the genera 

 Myrmecoc^stus, Melophonis, Camponotus, Leptomyrmex, etc.) Other species have 

 become agricultural or havesting ants (the species of Messor, Pogonomyrmex, many 

 species of Mercmopliis, Pheidole, SoUnopsis, etc.) and have therefore become 

 addicted to a vegetable diet. These forms store tKe seeds of various desert plants 

 in their nests. Lastly, a group of American ants, comprising the species of Attd 

 and allied genera, has learned to grow fungi for food on pieces of leaves, cater- 

 pillar excrement or other vegetable detritus. Although this habit seems to have 

 originated in the moist woods of South and Central America, several of the species 

 which acquired it were able by its means to invade the deserts of the Mexican 

 plateau and of the South-western States and thus to remain independent of the 

 precarious supply of insect food peculiar to those regions. This represents the 

 most specialized stage of ant dietetics. 



The protective instincts of ants, apart from their stinging and biting pro- 

 clivities, attain their most striking expression in the construction of the nests. 

 The various types of these structures were briefly considered: the small crater 

 nests in the soil, the nests under stones and in wood, the larger mound nests, 

 which are characterized by a superstructure of accumulated vegetable detritus 

 which is used as an incubator for the larvae and pupae, the carton nests constructed 

 in trees by various tropical ants of the genera Cremastogdster, Azteca, Dolichoderus 

 and Polyrhachis, and the extraordinary silken nests of Oecophylla smaragdina and 

 some species of Polyrhachis and Camponotus, which are woven by the ants using 

 their spinning larvge as shuttles. 



THE EXCURSION TO GRIMSBY. 



In accordance with the pre-arranged programme the visiting entomologists 

 were all invited to participate in an excursion to the town of Grimsby, which is 

 situated near the centre of the chief peach district of the Province. About thirty- 

 five availed themselves of the opportunity. It had been expected that the party 

 would arrive at Windsor soon after noon, but owing to a very severe thunderstorm 

 the previous evening the electric cars were running very irregularly and it was 

 not until about 2 p.m. that the party arrived there. Lunch was at once served. 

 After lunch there were two or three very interesting short addresses of appreciation 

 of the pleasant trip and of the entertainment. Immediately afterwards those who 

 were enthusiastic collectors set out in a body to search the flower-clad side of the 

 so-called mountain for their favorite kinds of insects. The remainder, under the 

 guidance of Mr. Csesar, visited the neighboring orchards, especially the peach 

 orchards. Fortunately the peaches were just ready to pick and the healthy trees 

 with their luxuriant green foliage and the branches bending down almost to the 

 breaking point with the weight of golden fruit, aroused the enthusiasm and ad- 

 miration of those who had never before seen an Ontario peach orchard. About 

 two hours were spent driving through or past peach and other orchards, noting 

 at the same time a few of the special insect pests of the locality, and then all re- 

 turned to the hotel to meet the party of collectors, who reported a considerable 

 number of interesting captures. Farewells were given, and the convention was at 



an end. 



L. C. 



