1922.] 119 



formidable ' Bull-dog ' ants of the genus Myvmecia. When alarmed, 

 the wasp often picks up a fragment of dead stick or leaf, which it carries 

 in its mandibles, thus increasing the resemblance to an ant (Proc. Ent. 

 Soc. Lond. 1919, p. xxxvii). I anticipate that the mimicry of ants will 

 prove to be a special feature of the Australian fauna. 



" In making the collection here described I received the kindest help 

 from Mr. L. le Seouef, Director of the Zoological Gardens, Perth, and 

 from Mr, H. M. Giles, the Head Keeper ; and at and near Healesville 

 from Mr. E. Kelly. A few of the ants were collected in the Blue 

 Mountains, N.S.W., by Prof, von Luschan, of Berlin." 



Sub-family I. Ponerinae Lep. 



Myrmecia vindex Sm. — g . From manj^ adjacent nests of various 

 sizes. S. Perth, Swan Kiver bank near Zoological Gardens, 2.viii.l-l 

 (i. le Seouef; E. B. P.). 



" This species is one of the well-known ' Bull-dog' ants of Australia, 

 a term no doubt applied to many others in the genus. The number of 

 nests in a small area seemed to be a definite habit and is j^robably advan- 

 tageous on the Miillei'ian ](i-inciple. An enemy having experienced the 

 defensive powers at the mouth of one nest would carefully avoid 

 disturbing others. Thus each nest would help in guarding the rest. 

 The behaviour of the ants was different from any I have seen. Around 

 and just inside the entrance, which aj^peared to descend vertically into 

 the earth, was a little group of ants. The head of each ant was always 

 facing outwards in the direction of possible attack. When disturbed, 

 the ants walked slowly, with widely opened mandibles, towards the enemv. 

 I have never seen suggested, in the bearing of an insect, so firm a confi- 

 dence in the possession of terrible powers of defence and such relentless 

 determination to use them. The result was to make them particularly^ 

 easy to capture with the forceps ; for reti-eat of any kind or the avoid- 

 ance of danger by rapid movement was quite foreign to their nature." — 

 E. B. P. 



Some species of ants, by a system of colonisation in addition to the 

 general mode of founding nests by means of fertilised females, succeed 

 in establishing enormous colonies consisting of scores or even hundreds 

 of separate nests, all the members of the different nests being on friendly 

 terms with each other. This is the case with the common European 

 Formica riifa and others, and it is possible that some species of 

 Myrmecia have a similar habit. It would be interesting to ascertain 



