48 • THE HONEY ANT. 



the chitinous segments which alone are visible exter- 

 nally in ordinary ants seem like small brown transverse 

 bars. The account of these most curious insects given 

 by MM. de Normann and Wesmael has been fully con- 

 firmed by subsequent observers ; as, for instance, by 

 Lucas,' Saunders,''^ Edwards,^ Blake,'' Loew,'' and 

 McCook.s 



On one very important point, however, M. Wesmael 

 was in error ; he states that the abdomen of these ab- 

 normal individuals ' ne contient aucun organe ; ou 

 plutot, il n'est lui-meme qu'un vaste sac stomacal.' 

 Blake even asserts that ' the intestine of the insect is 

 not continued beyond the thorax,' which must surely be 

 a misprint ; and also that there is no connexion between 

 the stomach and the intestine ! These statements, 

 however, are entirely erroneous ; and, as I\I. Forel has 

 shown, the abdomen does really contain the usual organs, 

 which, however, are very easily overlooked by the side 

 of the gigantic crop. 



I have therefore been much interested in receiving 

 a second species of ant, which has been sent me by 

 Mr. Waller, in which a similar habit has been evolved 

 ar.d a similar modification has been produced. The two 

 species, however, are very distinct, belonging to totally 



' Ann. Soo. Ent. de France, v. p. 111. 



* Canadian Entomologist, vol. vii. p. 12. 

 ' Proe. California Academy, 1873. 



« Ibid., 1874. 



' American Nat., viii. 1874. 



* The Honeij Ants. 



