Vol. XXVII. 

 iqii 



1 Excursion to Heidelberg. 187 



Melicerta ringens and Limnias ceratophylli, Volvox glohator, and 

 Rotifer vulgaris. Other rotifers collected, which have been 

 identified by Mr. J. Shephard, were Lacinularia elliptica, L. 

 socialis, Floscularia ornata, Salpina hrevispina, Dinocharis 

 tdractis, Philodina citrina, Euchlanis, sp., and Monostyla, sp. 

 The day was genial, and altogether a very pleasant and highly 

 satisfactory afternoon was spent. — J. C. Kaufmann. 



Note on the Habitat of Grant's Bird of Paradise 

 {Paradisea granti. North). — In describing Pavadisea granti in 

 the Victorian Naturalist (vol. xxii., p. 156, January, 1906) 

 some years ago, nothing was known as to where the specimen 

 was procured, but I surmised that it was in some part of 

 German New Guinea. Since the species was described, 

 from time to time many specimens have been brought to 

 Sydney, but all efforts failed to elicit any information as to 

 the part of New Guinea from which they were obtained. 

 Last year the Trustees of the x\ustralian Museum purchased 

 several species of Birds of Paradise from Mr. Charles Richart, 

 who collected them in different parts of German New Guinea. 

 Among them were three beautiful sperimens of Paradisea granti, 

 and I embraced the opportunity of obtaining the required inform- 

 ation of the habitat of this species. ^Ir. Richart told me that he 

 found Paradisea granti at Kuri Kuri, 90 miles south of Frederick 

 Wilhelmshafen, and at Bokowa and Samo Harbour, Huon Gulf, 

 230 and 245 miles respectively south of the same locality. 

 The birds were all procured in the dense jungle, and this species 

 was not found farther inland than 50 miles from the coast. 

 Notwithstanding that one has to pay a licence to shoot, and 

 there is an export duty on all bird-skins sent out of German New 

 Guinea, Mr. Robert Grant, Taxidermist of the Australian 

 Museum, after whom this species is named, informed me 

 that during last year he saw over thirty specimens of Birds of 

 Paradise, consisting of about an equal number each of Paradisea 

 finschi and P. granti, transformed into hat ornaments or other 

 adornments for the fair sex. — Alfred J. North. Australian 

 Museum, Sydney, January, 191 1. 



Ants and Their Ways. — A careful study has recently been made 

 at the Dresden (Germany) Forestry School of the habits of a certain 

 species of ant, which is both a leaf-cutter and a seed-gatherer. It 

 was found that most of the seeds, especially those of leguminous 

 plants, were allowed to germinate before the ants put them out to 

 dry, evidently to allow the seed-coat to burst ; but the germination 

 was not allowed to go far enough to ferment the starch into sugar. 

 When the seeds were dry and dead the ants took them back into 

 the nest, chewed them into a dough, which was then baked in the 

 sun in the form of minute biscuits, these being stored in the nest for 

 future use ! — English Mechanic, 9th September, 1910. 



