( vi ) 



guarded by the fort which the Germans erected against a 

 British advance — but is now being used for the opposite 

 purpose ! ! The river is broad, very deep (18 feet a yard away 

 from the bank) and swift, and lined by dense banks of papyrus, 

 so it is an excellent barrier. The country round is open plain, 

 absolutely flat. Parts are covered by fine forest continuous 

 with the Tero Forest (where Neave collected). If only I could 

 collect there ! Other parts are just grassy plains, sometimes 

 without trees, sometimes with thorny Acacias. Here and 

 there rise low grassy hills out of the plain, from the top of 

 which very extensive views can be had. From the open nature 

 of the country it is a poor locality for butterflies. But Terias 

 is here and I might get some interesting species. It is a 

 genus I am very little acquainted with. Hypolimnas misippus 

 is commoner here than at any place I have been to — I think 

 more abundant than its model Danaida chrysippus. At one 

 place I was at (Simba) on the way down more moths came to 

 light than I had ever seen before in Africa, and all were new to 

 me. I did wish I had had a bottle. But we have to travel very 

 lightly loaded, 10 porters for everything, so insect apparatus 

 had to be left behind. The birds round here are many of them 

 new to me — also the insects. There is a large black ant which 

 goes about in parties and raids Termite hills : one sees them 

 coming back in close column formation each bearing a mangled 

 Termite Worker, presumably for food. When interfered with 

 they make a loud stridulating noise." 



Prof. PouLTON, knowing that l\Ir. S. A. Neave had met with 

 the same species of ant, asked if he would allow his observations 

 to be recorded with those of Mr. Farquharson and Dr. Carpenter. 

 Mr. Neave had kindly replied on January 29, 1915 : — 



" So far as my recollection goes the ants are common all over 

 tropical Africa, especially in Nyasaland and Northern Rho- 

 desia. They are much in evidence because the raiding parties 

 are particularly fond of using native paths. These parties 

 usually consist of roughly from 80 to 120 individuals, which 

 march in ranks five or six abreast. When somewhat dis- 

 turbed they produce a stridulating sound which resembles 

 a faint hissing and is clearly audible five yards away. When 

 more seriously disturbed they break their ranks and rush out 



I 



