071 Indian ants. 351 



home any plunder. The workers-major, however, are 

 very fond of carrying their smaller brethren when on the 

 march, which they do by striding over and holdingthem 

 clear of the ground with their mandibles ; if you disturb 

 them the big worker drops the little one, and each makes 

 off on its own account, but if left alone, and you watch 

 quietly for a little time, you may see the big ant pick up 

 the little one and march on again in a great hurry, and 

 as if to make up for the delay. I have examined many 

 of the nests of this species, but never found any slave- 

 ants or insects of any kind in them. The big workers 

 are powerful ants, but do not possess the immense 

 strength of the giant workers of compressus. 



Camponotus sylvaticus, Oliv. 



This is a common species in Bengal, and can be found 

 on most tree-trunks ; it delights in shade, and forms its 

 nests (which are never populous) in the ground under 

 leaves. The workers are very active and extremely 

 fragile, and it is difficult to secure perfect specimens. 

 Specimens even from the same nest will vary greatly 

 in colour. 



Polyrhachis IcBvissimus, Sm. 



This ant forms its nests in the decayed wood of trees, 

 covering the entrances to its burrows with a thick 

 papyraceous material, which might be best described as 

 a " small-hands " made in the substance of a " tissue" ; 

 it is by no means a common ant, and I have hardly 

 found half-a-dozen nests during my residence in India, 

 and these have all been in Bengal. My finest nest is 

 situated in a tree (a species of Acacia) in Barrackpore 

 Park, on the south side of the tennis-ground, close to the 

 Chirya Khana (aviary). This nest has a web stretched 

 across a portion of the decayed trunk fully 18 inches 

 broad by 2 feet in length, and is very populous ; this 

 nest swarms about the commencement of the rains, 

 June 15th to July 7th. It is a strikingly handsome 

 species, with its shining jet-blackhead and body, relieved 

 and set off by the red legs. It often reminded me of 

 our English F. fuliginosa in general appearance and 

 habits, and always seemed like an old friend, but 

 though I spent many hours for many years watching 



