l8 7 he South Australian Naturalist. 



Ants' Cows. — The note that ants cb'aiii food from material 

 passing from the bodies of certain other insects must be at 

 least 200 years old, for Linnaeus records that the ants went up 

 the trees to ''milk their cows, the aphides."' It was long main- 

 tained that the material eaten by the ants consisted of juices 

 given out through the two cerci that project from the body of 

 the aphids, but this is now known to be incorrect. Some 

 observers deny that the ant makes any attempt to coax the 

 insects to provide food. However, Mr. Elston has spent some 

 pleasant summer hours carefully noting the behaviour of the 

 sugar ants and froghoppers in this regard, and his observations 

 will be found on another page. 



Forthcomirxg Lectures. — The following evening lectures 

 are set down for the coming three months. These will com- 

 mence at 8 p.m. in the Lecture-room of the Listitute Building, 

 North Terrace, and will in all cases be illustrated by lantern 

 slides and episcope views. On March 16. there will be three 

 twenty-minute lecturettes: A. G. Edquist, ''The Nature and 

 Forination of Fossil Remains''; A. H. Elston, F.E.S. (Injuri- 

 ous Insects), P. Runge (Interesting Minerals). On April 20, 

 Cai)tain S. A. AVhite, C.xM.B.O.U., will lecture on "A Trij) to the 

 Bunya Mountains, Queensland."' On May 18, Mr. Edwin 

 Ashby will give a further lectiu-c on "American Birds at 

 Home."' At all evening lectures mend^ers are invited 

 to bring exhibits, and to baud same to the Secretary, with a 

 note recording features of interest. Such notes will subse- 

 quently be recorded in "The Naturalist.'' 



Fifty Years Ago. — The following is reprinted by "The 

 Register'" from a -January issue of 1870: — "Mr. Riddoch, M.P., 

 has sent to the south-east the first lot of pheasants which the 

 district has had, and the hoi)e is expressed by a local paper that, 

 like the English sparroAvs at Mount Gambler, they may take 

 kindly to the soil and climate, and increase abundantly."' 



Broken Hill. — Reference was made in our last issue to the 

 desire for aji extension of the Field Naturalists' work into the 

 country districts, and arrangements have been approved by the 

 Committee for the giving of lectures and addresses by members 

 in country centres. Nuriootpa will possibly be the first i)lace 

 visited. At the last meeting of the Committee, requests Vv'ere 

 brought forward for assistance in forming a Field Naturalists' 

 Club at Broken Hill. There are several enthusiastic naturalists 

 there, specialists in various departments of field work, and 

 there should be no difficulty in forming the club. Naturally, 

 every assistance and encouragement is being given towards this 

 object. 



