12 IMr. H. Donisthorpe on 



ready a large glass vessel, the bottom of which I had filled 

 with mould. This vessel stood in a large zinc tray, the out- 

 side of which consists of a trough to hold water about an 

 inch and a half wide, and two inches deep. Between the 

 sides of the glass case and the trough there is space about 

 two inches wide. The ants use a corner of this space as 

 a cemetery and "kitchen midden," walking up the glass 

 sides and returning with ease. I connected the vessel 

 with a wooden box containing the ants, b}^ means of a 

 lead pipe. When as many of the ants as I required had 

 passed through this tube into the glass case, I removed it, 

 and placed a couple of liandfuls of the cUhris out of the 

 box on to the mould. The ants soon built up a small 

 hillock in one corner of their case, and have steadily added 

 to it ever since, excavating galleries beneath the mould. 

 I have from time to time supplied them with fresh pine- 

 needles, etc., to build with, and for food have given them 

 honey and live insects. 



If one digs deep into a nest of Formica rufa in the 

 spring, one will generally find a lot of the curious cases 

 made by the larva of Clytlira qnachi-pundata. This case, 

 which is made of black excrementitious matter, is somewhat 

 pear-shaped, and is open at the narrow end, the opening 

 being closed by the hard horny head of the larva. On its 

 upper side several ridges run from the mouth of the case, 

 tlie inner ones meeting and forming a series of Vs, in order, 

 as it is supposed, to strengthen it. On May 3rd this year I 

 obtained a fair number of cases from a nest of Formica 

 TV fa at Wcy bridge, containing larva^ and pupaj. Some of 

 these I proceeded to introduce into my "observation nest" 

 described above. The ants attacked the cases, endeavouring 

 to tear them open with their jaws (which are not however 

 strong enough for this purpose), and squirted acid on to 

 them. The closed cases (containing pupa^) were dragged 

 about for a long time, but eventually most of them were 

 taken into the nest. 



When a case containing a larva was attacked, the larva 

 withdrew into its case, blocking up the opening with its 

 horny head. When it got the chance it laid hold of a 

 twig or other object on the nest to prevent the ants 

 dragging it about. When left alone it crawled stealthily 

 along and finally disappeared into the nest. When walking 

 the larva comes out of its case far enough to give free 

 play to tiie legs, dragging the case after it. 



