1906. 213 



four or five in a long inoriiiii^r's work. The above observation of June this year 

 seems to show that lliis beetle is attached to the nest of the ants (possibly feeding 

 on eggs or larvte) ; anyliow, I have never sifted a M. glabratus without having Ponera 

 on the paper at tlie same time. 



The ants do not appear to live or have their nest in the moss. Mr. Nevinson has 

 suggested to me that they may feed on the very small Acari which are to be found 

 in the moss, and they are probably there collecting food. If put into a bottle with 

 moss tliey soon expire ; whereas a? placed in a small glass bowl with earth in April, 

 1904, was alive in the following Aug; st. If a nest or number of ants be taken and 

 put into a glass receptacle the insects will completely disappear, and only show 

 themselves when the contents are turned out. This seems to indicate that they live 

 and have their nests deep down in the earth, and that the moss is chiefly valuable 

 to them as supplying them with food. 



In July or the early part of August batches of pupae are brought up to the 

 surface and stored under small stones, and a few workers left to guard them. On 

 July 22nd last Mr. Donisthorpe and I found two such batches under different 

 stones on the edge of a single patch of moss, from which I conclude that the rest 

 of the nest, including the larvae, was below. The pupae, which are enclosed in a 

 case of a rather dark colour, were apparently all workers ; there was a Coccid with 

 one of the batches but no larvae [see also my record of two similar batches of pupae 

 found in August, 1903 (Ent. Mo. Mag., Ser. If, xiv, 283)]. The <? S hatch out at 

 the end of August ; my dates are 29.8.01 and 3.9.05. The winged ? is apparently 

 very rare ; I have one dated 3.9.05. 



A thorough study of the insect could only be made by some one living on the 

 spot, who could secure a nest early in the year and keep it supplied with fresh moss. 

 Even then it would be necessary to turn out the nest to find what was happening 

 so that the chance of rearing insects would be small, and it might be better to try 

 and follow the fortunes of the nest in its natural spot, but as the ants leave the moss 

 directly it is pulled this would be very difficult. My visits to Huntingfield (which 

 itself is 4^ miles from the spot) are only for occasional week ends during the time 

 that the observations have to be made, so that it is impossible for me to work as 

 methodically as I should like, but the above notes represent three yeax's' experience. 

 I could not properly attend to the nest taken in June this year, and it got too damp ; 

 this was most unfortunate, as the loss of six ? '^ must have sorely diminished the 

 supply of eggs. The ant is, however, still abundant if only searched for. Mr. 

 Donisthorpe and myself failed on July 22nd to find any trace of a second specimen 

 of my Fseudisohrachium cantianum. — A. J. Chitty, 27, Hereford Square, S.W. : 

 August, 1906. 



Andrena lapponica, Zett., in N. Wales. — My friend Mr. Morice told me to 

 keep an eye on Andrena feeding on whinberry on our Welsh mountains, with the 

 result that on two different occasions I have taken the ? of this species upon the 

 flower in question near Penmaenmawr ; it appears to be local, however, as I have 

 searched for it in many places where whinberry is abundant without success. — 

 WiLLOUGHBY GrAKDNEK, Deganwy, N. Wales : August, 1906. 



