( 461 ) 



XVIII. Note.<i 0)1 insects apparently of the genus Marga- 

 rodes, Lausd.-Ginlding , stated to occur ahtmdantljj 

 in the nests of WJdte Ants, and also of true Ants, 

 ill certain Western Districts of the Cape Coloni/. 

 By EoLAND Teimen, F.R.S., F.L.S. 



[Read October 6tli, 1880.] 



Early in the current 3'Car I received, from Mr. G. G. 

 Eainier, the Civil Commissioner of the Tulbagh District, 

 a number of small seed-like objects with a partly cop- 

 pery, partly pearly, surface-lustre, which he wrote were 

 found in great abundance under the base of the mounds 

 roofing the nests of the White Ants {Ter mites) in the 

 mountainous parts of his district. These objects, he 

 stated, were strung on chains for sale by the residents, 

 their varj'ing shades from yellowish pearl}^ through 

 golden to coppery, making them rather effective orna- 

 ments. 



At my request — as the specimens first received were 

 all empty and presenting a large hole on one side— Mr. 

 Eainier obtained some fresh examples, which were 

 without holes, and all of the yellowish pearly or very 

 pale golden tint. On opening a few of these there could 

 be no doubt that they were insect-pupfe, the interior 

 being full of the cream-like juices so characteristic of 

 newly-formed chrysalids. I set these fresh examples, 

 with the cemented material from the White Ants' nest 

 which accompanied them, and in which many of them 

 were embedded, carefully aside in a separate receptacle, 

 and watched daiW for the disclosure of some perfect insect 

 from them ; but up to the date (May '26th) of my 

 leaving the Cape no such insect made its appearance. 

 My impression, which was shared by my assistant, Mr. 

 L. Peringney, was that these insects belonged to some 

 hymenopterous or dipterous parasite, and I suggested to 

 my correspondent that this might be the case. 



I brought the later-received examples to England, 

 and after my arrival received from the Eev. G. U. E. 

 Fisk, who had left the Cape soon after myself, the 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1886. — PART IV. (DEC.) 2 I 



