﻿XXXVll 
  

  

  " 
  Taken 
  running 
  on 
  dead 
  EucalyjHus 
  -\ogs 
  in 
  which 
  old 
  

   beetle-holes 
  were 
  numerous. 
  Although 
  of 
  considerably- 
  

   smaller 
  size, 
  this 
  wasp 
  bears 
  a 
  considerable 
  resemblance 
  to 
  

   ants 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Myrmecia, 
  especially 
  M. 
  esuriens, 
  Fabr., 
  

   and 
  another 
  species 
  with 
  red 
  legs, 
  Myrmecia 
  pilosula, 
  Sm. 
  

   When 
  alarmed 
  the 
  wasp 
  often 
  picks 
  up 
  a 
  fragment 
  of 
  dead 
  

   stick 
  or 
  leaf, 
  which 
  it 
  carries 
  in 
  its 
  mandibles, 
  thus 
  increasing 
  

   the 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  ant. 
  Aphelotoma 
  auriventris, 
  Turn., 
  

   a 
  species 
  with 
  a 
  wide 
  range 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  half 
  of 
  Australia, 
  

   also 
  bears 
  a 
  considerable 
  likeness 
  to 
  Myrmecia 
  mandibularis, 
  

   Sm., 
  though 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  size 
  is 
  very 
  great; 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  

   seen 
  this 
  species 
  or 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  Queensland 
  species 
  of 
  

   Aphelotoma 
  [except 
  A. 
  tasmanica] 
  carrying 
  anything 
  in 
  tlieii 
  

   mandibles. 
  The 
  Tasmanian 
  species 
  is 
  considerably 
  larger 
  

   than 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  the 
  genus." 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  of 
  much 
  interest 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  Aphelotoma 
  

   which 
  was 
  nearest 
  in 
  size 
  to 
  the 
  model 
  should 
  have 
  developed 
  

   this 
  additional 
  mimetic 
  feature. 
  The 
  extreme 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   ants 
  in 
  Australia 
  rendered 
  them 
  especially 
  feasible 
  as 
  models. 
  

   The 
  close 
  mimetic 
  resemblance 
  between 
  two 
  large 
  

   Chinese 
  sawplies. 
  — 
  ^Prof. 
  Poulton 
  said 
  that 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  E. 
  

   Turner 
  had 
  kindly 
  drawn 
  his 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  remarkable 
  

   likeness 
  between 
  Athermantus 
  imperialis, 
  Sm. 
  (Arginae) 
  and 
  

   Abia 
  vitalisi, 
  Turn. 
  {Cimhicinae). 
  Specimens 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum 
  were 
  from 
  N. 
  China 
  and 
  N. 
  Lido-China 
  respectively. 
  

   The 
  two 
  species 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size, 
  and 
  both 
  had 
  yellow 
  

   wings 
  and 
  an 
  iridescent 
  violet-black 
  body. 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  their 
  

   wide 
  systematic 
  difference 
  they 
  would, 
  at 
  first 
  sight, 
  pass 
  for 
  

   the 
  same 
  species. 
  The 
  mimicry 
  was 
  probably 
  Miillerian, 
  for 
  

   there 
  was 
  evidence 
  — 
  although 
  as 
  yet 
  insufficient 
  — 
  ^that 
  the 
  

   sawflies 
  were 
  a 
  protected 
  group. 
  Certain 
  British 
  species 
  

   were 
  mimicked 
  by 
  Diptera 
  which 
  frequented 
  the 
  same 
  flower- 
  

   heads, 
  and 
  the 
  larvae 
  of 
  Croesiis 
  had 
  been 
  shown 
  to 
  be 
  dis- 
  

   tasteful 
  to 
  lizards. 
  

  

  Glossina 
  palpalis, 
  R.D., 
  from 
  Capt. 
  Carpenter's 
  

   shelters 
  on 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  Victoria 
  Nyanza. 
  — 
  Prof. 
  

   Poulton 
  exhibited 
  the 
  specimens 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   extracts 
  from 
  letters 
  by 
  Capt. 
  G. 
  D, 
  H. 
  Carpenter. 
  None 
  of 
  

   the 
  puparia 
  had 
  produced 
  flies 
  since 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  received. 
  

  

  