28 [•'"'y, 



breadth throughout, a humeral line, and the under-side of the abdomen 

 on the posterior three-quarters of the third segment, all bronzy-green. 



I do not know the Agrion Madera of De Selys Longchamps. 



Nos. 17 (J; 18 ?; 19 ?, var. 



(To he continued). 



NOTES ON BRITISH FORMICIDM. 

 BY rEEDEEICK SMITH, V.P.E.S. 



The present communication will probably be regarded as being 

 very nearly allied to an advertisement ; it has, however, a definite ento- 

 mological object in view, that of seeking to increase our knowledge of 

 the British species of the Formicidce. 



In the year 1851, our list of ants numbered eighteen species ; 

 the list has since that period been swelled to nearly double that number, 

 it having increased to thirty-two. I feel confident that several additions 

 may be made, if Entomologists living in distant localities can be induced 

 to collect sets of ants during the present season, at such times as the 

 winged sexes are observed in the nests. The discovery of an additional 

 species the other day at Sandown, near Deal, induces me to appeal to 

 brother Entomologists, and to request that they will he kind enough to 

 collect some of these insects at such times as I have indicated above ; 

 particularly the smaller species ; always being careful to keep each 

 species separate, and carefully labelled as to the situation in which they 

 were found, with the date of the month, &c. Any one visiting Scotland 

 would be sure, I believe, to add to our list by attending to my sug- 

 gestions. Many, I dare say, imagine that we have only one species of 

 hill ant — by which I mean ants that erect nests composed of bits of 

 stick, leaves, straws, &c., like those of the well-known wood ant ; I 

 take three species from such nests, and we may expect to find at least 

 three others. There are also two or three species that will probably be 

 found under bark, or in the dead stumps of trees, and others that do 

 not construct nests of their own, but are found living in perfect har- 

 mony in the nests of other species ; these are usually minute insects 

 two are found in the nest of the wood ant on the Continent, we have 

 only as yet obtained one of them in England. A good plan for finding 

 them is to soak an old rotten board in water, and then to place if 

 against an ant hill ; if occasionally examined, the little parasitic antfi 

 may be expected to be found beneath the board, attracted by th€ 

 moisture. Myrmecophilous Coleoptera will also be occasionally found, 



I subjoin a li«t of the British ants, indicating the situation of the 

 nest, the date when the species usually swarm, and the localities knowi 

 fiir some of the rarer species. 



