374 Mr. Piotliney's notes on Indian ants. 



species of bamboo, or behind jaffri (trellis-work), and 

 similar shady situations. The workers are very active, 

 and always seem busy carrying about various species of 

 insects. I have some specimens before me taken with 

 a species of Pediopsis (Homopteron) and Nysius (Hemip- 

 teron), which appear to form a very favourite form of 

 capture. 



Aphcenog aster. 



There are two species of this ant, which are not 

 uncommon in Barrackpore Park in the hot weather ; 

 they form their nests in the dried-up grass-covered 

 ground of the open and most exposed positions. One 

 species covers the entrances to its nest with the fallen 

 leaves of the tamarind, acacia, and a thorny shrub like 

 the babool. The other makes tiny mounds of the little 

 pink and blue flowers of a weed that grows amongst the 

 grass ; these little mounds, about the diameter of a 

 rupee, and perhaps from one-eighth to one-fourth inch 

 high, are very pretty objects, and from their bright 

 colour easily catch the eye. 



Crema stag aster Rothneyi, Mayr. 

 This pretty little species, which was described from 

 specimens taken in the Eden Gardens, Calcutta, also 

 occurs in Barrackpore Park, but does not appear to be 

 generally common in Bengal; it frequents the trunks 

 of trees, but I never succeeded in finding the nest. 



TJie Mushroom. Ant. 



There is a species, one of the Poneridce, the males 

 of which come in numbers to light, and settle on the 

 white cloth at dinner-time, or fly about the lamps ; it is 

 common from the beginning of the hot weather in March 

 to the beginning of the cold season in November, but I 

 have never been able to find either the workers or 

 females to which it belongs, — that is, knoivingly. Prom 

 the very strong smell which it has when handled, and 

 which exactly resembles mushrooms, I have given it the 

 above MS. name. 



