110 Mr. G. A. J. Rothuey on 



Merano^olus lAcoJor, Guer. — Common in the Park ; nests 

 in the earth, particularly the bank and ditch separating it 

 from the trunk-road. When built in exposed places, the 

 entrances to the nests are often found covered with the 

 little pink and blue flowers of some weed. Sexes end of 

 May. 



iflol corny rraex scaliriccj)^, Mayr.-T— The Harvesting Ant of 

 the Barrackpore district. Common in the Park. Swarms 

 early in June ; nests in roads or hard sun-baked earth, but 

 always on or near grass land ; easily found by the mounds 

 of seed husks piled up round the entrances. Ants difficult 

 to find after the rains commence. 



Myrmicaria hrunnea, Saunders. — Nests or colonies found 

 round the stems of the great banyan tree in tlie Park by 

 excavating large fosses, the earth being heaped up in 

 mounds like regular fortifications. Swarms July 7th-10th 

 (Xote in the Proceedings Entom. Soc. February 24th, 

 1892, under the name M. suhcarinata, Emer}^). 



Solenopsis geminata, Fab. ; V. armata, Forel. — The Red 

 Ant. Very common, nests in the earth, under bricks or 

 stones, or almost anywhere. vSwarms several times from 

 March to October. 



Phcidolofjeton laboriosus,Smith = P. affi/nis, Jerdon. — Not 

 uncommon in the Park : nests under bricks, stones, flower- 

 pots, and rock work ; occasionally found on the march 

 changing quarters, when they construct elaborate covered 

 ways, in wliich the huge-headed workers-major take an 

 important and highly-specialized part. 



Fheidok' rJiomhinoda, Mayr. — Nests found in the Park 

 where the grass has been worn bare ; the ants cover these 

 patches round the entrance to the nests with the leaflets 

 of a species of mimosa ; this covering is arranged in the 

 form of a circle, and is apparently for protection from the sun. 



>Sima rafo'/ivjra, Jerdon. — Very common ; nests in trees, 

 particularly fruit-trees like the mango, bael and lychee, 

 and a species of fig in the Park had its fruit completely 

 riddled by this ant. Winged $ found in May ; is armed 

 with the most poisonous sting of any Aculeate with which 

 I am acquainted. Nests frequented by a species of spider, 

 Salticus ; also by AiivjJidex {Itliinoiysis) raficornis, Cam., 

 which very closely mimics the ant, and which I have never 

 found in any other situation. 



Sima nigra, Jerdon. — Not uncommon in trees ; is also 

 mimicked bv a Salticus. 



