THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 277 



Sandy places near Port Jackson. They live underground, 

 and make no hill : the openings to their nest are very small, 

 and usually concealed under leaves or stones. 



Section II. 



4. F. consobrina, Erich. — These insects do not secrete 

 foru)ic acid. The neuters are very helpless, and are much 

 sought by children, who suck a sweet fluid from their bodies. 

 Although this is one of the commonest ant;^ in New South 

 Wales, I could not find a single nest : I found those of a 

 closely-allied species, F. intrepida, in abundance : I am in- 

 formed that the nests are very similar. 



5. F. intrepida, Kirby (large worker) ; F. agilis, Sm. 

 (small worker). — These insects live underground, in small 

 colonies of 200 or 300 individuals, throwing up a small 

 rounded tumulus of clay about a foot high, excavated by a 

 labyrinth of passages, and furnished with several openings in 

 its sides : the hillock is so hard and strong that it is not 

 easily kicked to pieces. These ants close the entrances to 

 their nests at night, and form the breeding-chambers at a 

 considerable depth beneath the surface. The large workers 

 (F. intrepida of Kiiby) are exceedingly numerous and pug- 

 nacious, probably forming one-fifth or one-sixth of the entire 

 colony: these work with the small worker (F. agilis of 

 Smith), apparently sharing every labour with them. The 

 female is 8 lines long, and coloured like the small workers : 



1 have never seen a specimen, except one I collected from a 

 hill myself. The nest does not smell of formic acid, even 

 when greatly disturbed. 



6. F. tiigromiea, Sm. (large worker). — The small workers 

 appear not to have been hitherto described. They are 



2 lines long, black, with a green tinge. Head as wide as the 

 thorax, elongated, and rounded behind. Clypeus neither 

 caiinated nor notched, thinly covered with golden hairs. In 

 other respects the small workers are exactly like the large 

 ones : they are very conspicuous when alive, on account of 

 the bright golden pubescence which covers the abdomen : t 

 know nothing of their habits, except that I have always 

 Ibund them on the ground. 



7. F. nilida, Lowne. — I only know this species by one 

 large worker, 3 lines long. Head, thorax and abdomen black; 



