THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 137 



The nests are divided into chambers, the walls being formed with 

 web or leaves. Frequently several large nests may be seen on 

 one tree, as well as numerous small " enclosures," which are re- 

 ferred to further on. Nest-building appears to be going on 

 throughout the year. Several may be in progress simultaneously 

 on one tree. It is astonishing what myriads of inmates these 

 nests contain ; many of the chambers appear to be almost filled 

 with the ants and their pupae and larvse. A new nest may be torn 

 open, and though many larvae are present no queen can be dis- 

 covered ; perliaps the queen may be in a central nest ; however, I 

 have not met with one for many weeks. When a fresh habitation 

 is ready it soon receives its quota of larvae, which come from an 

 older nest. The older nests are generally abandoned when the 

 foliage becomes withered — leaves so bound up cannot keep alive 

 for any length of time. These abandoned nests are conspicuous 

 objects on trees which shed their leaves, but they soon fall to 

 pieces. Reverting to the queens : at certain times several may 

 be found in one nest ; later on, during the wet season, these queens 

 may be found singly throughout the scrubs in little retreats 

 formed by a few leaves just held together. In these, no doubt, 

 small colonies are soon formed, for I have observed larvae therein 

 at times, but during this period I am too busy in other directions 

 to pay particular attention to the ants. So there is much inform- 

 ation to be gathered concerning the queens — whether they live 

 any length of time, or die at the approach of winter, leaving 

 enough eggs to supply larvae to the several colonies for some 

 weeks, or even months. 



The ants wage war upon almost all insects around them, 

 caterpillars, beetles, and other species of ants especially ; they 

 will even attack and kill the great caterpillars of Ornithoptera 

 Cassandra. They never appear to touch dead lizards, snakes, and 

 birds, &c. There are no food stores in tiie nests — a few fragments 

 of beetles, perhaps, some brown or black ants, or a much-mauled 

 caterpillar. Many of the ants may be seen with the abdomen 

 somewhat distended, as with honey ; this must be obtained from 

 the various scale and other insects they fraternize with, for I have 

 not seen them upon flowers. 



It is decidedly interesting to observe the insects engaged upon 

 the construction of their domiciles. If the foliage is large or stiff, 

 scores or even hundreds of the ants may be required to haul a 

 leaf down and detain it in place until secured, both operations 

 taking considerable time. It is quite a tug-of-war matter to bring 

 the leaf into position and keep it there. The insects holding it have 

 a chain of two or three of their comrades fastened on to them, one 

 behind the other, each holding its neighbour by its slender waist, 

 and all at full stretch and pulling most earnestly. What a strain it 

 must be for poor number one ! When the leaf is far apart the 



