90 THE KNTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



full account of Edwards' discovery and experiments are also detailed 

 {op. rit., pp. 445-447). 



This important discovery led to a great many observations being 

 publisfhed (a) on the symbiosis of ants and larvae, and {b) on the habits 

 of the ants and larvae. A series of the records alone occupies con- 

 siderable space {ojj. cit., pp. 323-324), but the connection of Pleheins 

 aecfoi with Lasius niger, of P. ari/yrognonion with L. alienus and Formica 

 rinerea, Agriades conjdon with Lasius {Formica) niger, F. riifa, and 

 more recently with F. jiava (by Rayward), of A. bellargus with Lasius 

 niiier and L. jiavus, of Polyommatus damon yvith L. niger, P. icarus with 

 /.. fiants, and many other species have been well substantiated, and 

 Ravward's confirmation of the earlier records is exceedingly useful, 

 especially as his observations are more detailed and careful than those 

 of some observers. 



Some two years ago we published a chapter on " The Association 

 of Ants with Butterfly larvte " {Nat. Hist. Brit. Butts., i., pp. 30-37), 

 and detailed at length some of the observations and experiments that 

 had been published in America, India, Australia, etc., particularly the 

 remarkable observations made by Edwards on the larvae of Pleheius 

 {RusticHs) vielissa, a species closely allied to our P. aegon, and the 

 still more amazing discoveries of de Niceville, Green, Doherty, and 

 Mrs. Wylly, who note, not only the milking- habit, but aver that in 

 some species the larvae are herded in special shelters built by the ants, 

 and are driven out at night to feed, being brought back to their 

 shelters each morning. Some of the details are certainly hardly 

 credible, yet they are vouched for by some of our leading field ento- 

 mologists. 



The discoveries of Rayward and Frohawk have led to a great 

 amount of interest being shown in the subject by British lepidopterists, 

 the matter having been also brought to the front by the recent investi- 

 "ations of Donisthorpe on the connection between ants and their 

 truests, etc. In our study, therefore, of the habits of Lycaenid larvae, 

 it became necessary to look up de novo the literature of the subject, 

 and condense it for our readers. This we have done in our chapter 

 " Family Habits of Butterfly Larvae— The Lycaenids " {op. cit., pp. 75- 

 HO), but^ althovigh, on the whole, we are satisfied with the result, and 

 now have, in an exceedingly easily accessible form, the facts (and 

 references to the literature) of the subject, arranged separately as to the 

 observations made in Europe, Asia, Australia, and America, respectively, 

 yet there are two or three species about which the material is exceed- 

 ino-ly scanty, in which British collectors are particularly interested. 

 These are Freres argiades (Edwards notes the American form comgntas 

 as being attended by ants), Aricia astrarche, which Harrison {Ent. 

 Rec, xvii., p. 268) says is attended by ants, without, however, 

 mentioning the species, Cyaniris semiargus and Cupida minima, about 

 which, at present, records appear to be wanting. We wonder if any 

 of our readers will be in a position to observe the larv« of these species 

 in the coming summer. If so, we should be exceedingly glad to hear 

 of any facts bearing on the subject of their symboisis with ants. 



