148 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Burkhill at Lillimur, near the South Australian border, and which 

 I took at first for Xerotes juncea. Upon closer examination, 

 however, I find it to be a variety of the imperfectly known 

 X. sororia. It may be of interest to give a description of the 

 male plant, the only form collected. 



Xerotes sororia, F. v. M., var. teres. 



Stock tufted, surrounded by sheathing scales. Leaves or barren 

 shoots rush-like, attaining about a foot in length, terete, stiff, 

 slightly striate, glabrous. Flowering scapes about 3 inches long, 

 simple or slightly branched, with thin pale shining scales below 

 the flowers. Flowers pale coloured, in small clusters or singly 

 disposed along the spike, sessile within small scarious bracts. 

 Outer perianth -segments ovate, almost hyaline, shining ; inner 

 segments slightly longer, ovate, free to near the base like the 

 outer ones, very turgid and fleshy in the middle and lower part. 

 Stamens : The three opposite the outer perianth segments on 

 very short filaments, the other three sessile and attached to the 

 centre of the inner segments. Rudimentary pistil present. 



Ants and Aphides. — A small species of ant, commonly dis- 

 tributed in the Mallee, has a curious habit of keeping in close 

 confinement a rather large mealy aphis, which feeds on the stems 

 of young eucalypts. Round and over these aphides the ants 

 construct a domed covering of particles of bark, grass, &c, which 

 serves the double purpose of imprisoning the aphides and exclud- 

 ing other ants. Some of these coverings appear to be entirely 

 closed, while others have an opening left in the edge ; this door- 

 way is, however, constantly guarded by a pair of ants, which 

 continually move about in the open space, and seem much 

 impressed with the importance of the duty assigned to ihem. 

 Each enclosure contains generally from three to a dozen aphides, 

 and about the same number of ants. Upon making a breach in 

 some of these structures, for the purpose of observation, I have 

 noticed that many of the " live stock " were immediately seized 

 by the ants and forcibly removed to a place of safety. The ant 

 under notice is about a quarter of an inch in length, and is of a uni- 

 form dark reddish-brown colour, and forms its ordinary habitation 

 under logs, or in old rotten stumps, and sometimes in the ground. 

 Several other species of ants are very assiduous in their attend- 

 ance on the various aphides, Tetigonidng, and coccids, but the 

 above is the only kind I have noticed that uses such extraordinary 

 means to secure a monopoly of the much-prized " honey-dew." 

 — J. C. Goudie. Birchip, 28th January, 1898. 



