106 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



have seen them follow an intruder for quite 30 feet from the nest 

 in the hope of getting a parting bite. With the Reds it is 

 different ; should one of them come to the entrance of the nest 

 and see you there he usually withdraws again and backs out of 

 sight. But in such a case a Black would come straight for you ; 

 he knows no discretion. Even in opening a nest of Reds, they 

 will withdraw to the lower chambers, so that when you come to 

 the end of a channel (which usually ends in a pocket) you may 

 be sure of getting a spade-full " all alive." During the winter 

 the Blacks keep very much under ground, scarcely showing them- 

 selves, and even at this date (November), and with the present 

 warm weather, the Blacks give very little sign of activity outside 

 the nest during the day, while the Reds have been out in con- 

 siderable force during the winter, busily working, with the ther- 

 mometer at 50 degrees. The Reds are much more gentle than 

 the Blacks ; they will approach you with an inquisitive but 

 inoffensive air, and I have had them frequently walk over my 

 hands without any attempt to bite or sting. The Blacks, how- 

 ever, with threatening aspect, open wide their mandibles before 

 reaching you, and should they touch your hand they at once dig 

 into it without any ceremony. The Bulls remind me very forcibly 

 of the bees, the Reds representimg the more gentle disposition 

 and more industrious habits of the " banded Italians," and the 

 Blacks the irritability and less activity of the Black Bees. 

 Another feature of resemblance is in the bands of colour on the 

 abdominal plates of the Red, and also their lighter colour 

 generally. I don't say that lightness of colour and abdominal 

 bands, in ants, is to be considered indicative of the same traits as 

 they mark with the bees ; but in working with them both one is 

 being constantly reminded of the similarity. The Bulls are 

 most remarkable for their size ; I believe the Black Bull-ant of 

 Australia enjoys the unique distinction of being the largest ant 

 known. Hundreds of the large workers in the colony will 

 measure from an inch to ly^ inches, and the females will measure 

 i/s inches and over. 



Both the Red and the Black Bulls consist of minor workers, 

 major workers, males, and females. The minors (which are the 

 least numerous) commence at about fg inch. The majors 

 (which outnumber the minors by 5 to i) run from a little below 

 to a little above an inch, and the females i}4 inches. The 

 males and females may be distinguished from the workers by 

 their wings and their greater development of the thorax, and, if 

 apterous, the nodes showing where the wings were attached. 



There are three processes by which the wings of the females 

 may be removed : — ist. By the drastic use of violence. When a 

 colony is queenless, and they capture one from a neighbouring 

 nest, they tear off its wings to secure it at home. 'Hie same 



