( Ix ) 



Prof. Poulton said since he had received these notes from 

 Mr. Farquharson he had read the account given by Mr. G. 

 Arnold, M.Sc, in his just published " Monograph of the 

 Formicidae of South Africa," in Ann. S. Afr. Mus., vol. xiv, 

 1015, p. 1. In this valuable and interesting work the author 

 spoke of the habit of foraging in files as " displayed by Mega- 

 ponera foetens, and to a slight extent by Paltothyreus tarsatus. 

 The former marches in double file, and the striking dis])arity 

 in size between the two forms composing the colony has a 

 very singular appearance. Their prey consists entirely of 

 termites, and when a suitable hunting-ground containing 

 these animals has been found, the columns break up and 

 pour into every hole and crack which leads to the invaded 

 galleries. The method then adopted is as follows : Each 

 ant brings to the surface one or more termites, and then 

 re-enters the galleries to bring up more victims. This is 

 continued until each ant has retrieved about half a dozen 

 termites, which, in a maimed condition, are left struggling 

 feebly at the surface. The whole army reassembles again 

 outside, and each marauder picks up as many termites as 

 it can conveniently carry, usually three or four. The columns 

 are then re-formed and march home. Less order is shown by 

 P. tarsatus, but I have often seen this ant carrying termites, 

 in short files composed of about a dozen workers " (p. 8). 

 Mr. Arnold states that the stridulation of both these species 

 " is plainly audible at a distance of several feet " (p. 8). The 

 author described (pp. 47-49) the c?, the ?, and two worker 

 forms of M. foetens, and said that " it is a common ant in 

 Rhodesia, and lives almost exclusively on termites. . . . 

 This is the species which is popularly called the ' Matabele ' 

 ant, and like its cousin Paltothyreus, it is also endowed with 

 a very offensive odour. They stridulate very loudly when 

 disturbed, and their sting is exceedingly painful. The entrance 

 to the nest consists of one or more simple holes, without any 

 mounds of earth around them."' Although, as Mr. Arnold 

 now showed, both these large ants emitted an offensive odour 

 and stridulated, it was evident, on the testimony of many 

 observers, that Paltothyreus made great use of the first defence, 

 while Megaponera freely employed the second, Mr. Arnold 



