352 THE entomologist's record. 



cophilous (not invariably being found with ants) as are the other 

 species of ^bjrwedonia. 



Qnedius brevis, Er. — On April 13th I introduced some specimens 

 (from a nest of Lasiim fulvjinosus at Oxshott) into my nest. They 

 exhibited precisely the same defence as IMnarda and with equal success. 

 On April 14th a Q. brevis was observed biting at the body of a bee the 

 ants had killed. On April 23rd a specimen was walking about in the 

 midst of a number of ants. Specimens were observed on April 27th and 

 29th, May 3rd, 7th, 13th and 15th. Qnedius brevis is, of course, found 

 with Formica rufa, as well as with Lasius fuliiiinosHs, though the 

 specimens experimented with were taken with the latter ant. 



Qnedius mesoiiielinus, Marsh. — I introduced several specimens of this 

 beetle (taken with Lasius fulvjinosus, at Oxshott) into my nest. They 

 were all at once attacked, killed and torn to pieces by the ants. 

 Though I have taken it in numbers with L. fulij/inosus, at Chiddingfold, 

 and sparingly at Oxshott, it is generally not found with ants, and 

 evidently possesses no means of defence against Furnu'ca rufa. 



Claviijer foveolotus, Miill. — On April 23rd, many ants being about, 

 I introduced several specimens of Claviger (I had taken it at Portland 

 in great numbers in the nests of Lasius jiavus and L. niijer) into my 

 nest. They all buried themselves in the earth, the ants paying no 

 attention to them. I placed an ant in a small box with several of the 

 Glavii/er, the ant did not attack them. I forced an ant to seize a 

 Clavvjer, but it dropped it at once. I repeated the experiment several 

 times with other ants and always with the same result. When dropped 

 the Claviiier walked quietly away. On April 29th I introduced some more 

 specimens of Clavvjer into my nest, they proceeded to enter the nest and 

 galleries. When an ant met a C'lavi(/er it only touched it with its 

 antenna and then moved on. One ant picked up a ('lavi(/er and carried 

 it a short distance, on putting it down again the L'lavijer walked away 

 quite unhurt. On May 1st, 2nd, 15th and 18th, specimens of Claviger 

 were seen walking about among the ants. It has been stated that if 

 a specimen of Claviijer be taken out of an ant's nest and put into a 

 strange one, even of the same species of ant, it is torn to pieces. This 

 is not the case in my experience, we have seen that even Formica rufa, 

 in the nest of which species it never occurs in nature, will not 

 kill it. Moreover, when at Portland, I introduced specimens of Claviger 

 from nests of L. flavus into nests of L. nvjer, and vice versa, and also 

 into nests of the same species at a distance from their own nest, and 

 they were never attacked at all. I also introduced specimens into my 

 observation nests of Lasius Jiavus and L. nitjer; they were received quite 

 willingly by the ants. I noticed that the beetles generally sit on, or 

 among, the larvfe of the ants. On May 18th a Lasius nif/er was 

 observed to feed a Claviger. 



Monotniua forniicetoruw , Thoms. — On April 24th a Monotonia (which 

 on examination turned out to be this species) was seen walking on the 

 top of the hillock. The ants paid no attention to it; it even walked 

 over some of them. Other specimens were observed on May 27th and 

 29th, and June 4th. The ants never took any notice of them. 



Dendropliilus pijrpuaeus, L. — A specimen of this beetle was seen on 

 April 9th walking about among the ants. The ants took no notice of 

 it whatever. It is protected in the same way as Myrmetes. After 

 watching it for some time I captured it, as I required another specimen 

 for my collection. 



