372 Mr. G. A. J. Eothney's notes 



be found about the Park, particularly at the back of the 

 lions' and tigers' cages, where the old bones were thrown, 

 and which you could generally count on finding covered 

 with the workers ; indeed, an old bone or piece of meat 

 seemed to be an irresistible bait to the workers of Dorylus. 



The males are never found with the workers, but come 

 into your bungalow at night, attracted by the light, 

 generally at dinner-time, when the lamps being turned 

 up the white cloth forms a special attraction ; they 

 come buzzing in and blunder about the room much like 

 a Scarahcsus beetle, and when handled they work 

 vigorously about with their bodies and clip you with 

 the strong claspers of their genital armature. They are 

 by no means uncommon, but what is very curious is 

 that they usually appear at the end of the cold weather 

 or the commencement of the hot, that is, from middle of 

 February to middle of March, when winged ants of other 

 genera can hardly be found. 



My last nest of Dorylus was found on the Esplanade, 

 Bombay, on January 29th, 1886 ; it was my last visit to 

 India, and I was starting for an evening walk, when not 

 a hundred yards from the clock-tower of the University 

 I noticed a strong body of the workers very busy round 

 the entrance to a burrow just at the edge of the turf, 

 and a second glance showed me they had some object in 

 this burrow that they were particularly anxious and 

 jealous about, and, stooping down, I pulled out what 

 from the colouring of the head, legs, and antennae (so 

 exactly like the workers of Dorylus), if I did not actually 

 believe, I at least fondly hoped was the female, which I 

 had been looking for for so many years. I rushed back 

 to the Esplanade Hotel, got my collecting-bottle and a 

 knife, returned to the spot, and this time dug up the 

 nest without waiting. I found two more of these 

 suspicious-looking insects, and from the curious, fussy, 

 jealous, and at the same time half-respectful, behaviour 

 of the workers, my hopes as to the genuineness of my 

 find considerably rose. I got three nice little bottles 

 filled with rum, and by the next mail sent them off to 

 Professor Westwood and Mr. Edward Saunders, who 

 kindly wrote me by return of post that my capture was 

 only the " larva of some Lamellicorn beetle." What 

 Dorylus does with these larvae I should much like to 

 know ; but my fondest hopes were dashed to the ground, 



