eee yee 
on the Bionomics of Southern Nigerian Insects. 421 
large size and formidable appearance, she proved ex- 
tremely timid. She retreated before live house-flies even. 
I then killed food for her and put it at the mouth of her 
burrow. Whether it was dead worms, flies, or Termite 
soldiers, all disappeared. She distributed them at different 
levels, and in a few days’ time I was able to see a few eggs. 
These had developed into fair-sized larvae in one or two 
cases, when something went wrong. Minute mites and 
equally minute flies attacked the food-supply, and for 
some time I have seen no other signs of life. Fresh food 
no longer disappears, but I have not yet opened the nest. 
[The following note refers to Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond., 
1915, pp. lvi-lxi.] 
July 26, 1915.—I was greatly interested in the additional 
notes from Dr. Arnold’s work on Megaponera and Palto- 
thyreus [in Ann. 8. Afr. Mus., vol. xiv, 1915, p. 1], and 
more than ever wished that Lamborn had been here. 
We would have gone to every corner of the station where 
Paltothyreus was to be found to check his (and my) 
observations. Unfortunately I do not know of Megaponera 
here [at Moor Plantation]. Arnold’s observations are 
rather at variance with mine, and I am most curious 
to know whether Neave and Stigand support either of 
us, or whether on the East side still other variations 
in their behaviour occur. I am writing Lamborn about 
Paltothyreus, for he must have been very familiar with 
their habits. I must say I have never actually heard the 
stridulation of Paltothyreus. It cannot be so marked as 
that of Megaponera, or if so it must very seldom occur 
here that they stridulate at all. When I made my serious 
observations on Megaponera (I had previously observed 
them: casually, giving them a wide berth, and put them 
down as Paltothyreus), acting on Lamborn’s hint, I was 
most careful to describe only what I saw, for he had never 
seen Paltothyreus on the march. I doubt if he remembers 
the incident, for he probably thought I had made a mis- 
take and hadn’t given the matter a second thought. I 
felt, however, that it was up to me to substantiate my 
story. Merely to stamp on the ground in their neighbour- 
hood is enough to produce the disgusting smell which is 
so characteristic of tarsatus. When I met the big ants on 
trek this was the first thing I did. The result was the 
loud hissing and no smell. To make absolutely certain I 
trod lightly on one or two so as to injure but not kill them, 
