﻿Ivii 
  

  

  town 
  of 
  Lindi, 
  were 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  dominant 
  species. 
  They 
  

   nest 
  both 
  in 
  holes 
  in 
  trees 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  ground, 
  favouring 
  sandy 
  

   soil, 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  occur 
  everywhere 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  absolute 
  

   nuisance, 
  running 
  up 
  one's 
  legs 
  whenever 
  one 
  stands 
  still 
  a 
  

   few 
  seconds. 
  They 
  are 
  savage 
  and 
  very 
  active, 
  so 
  that 
  one 
  

   hardly 
  expected 
  to 
  find 
  Bengalia 
  molesting 
  them. 
  But 
  on 
  

   several 
  occasions 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  month, 
  the 
  indefatigable 
  

   fly 
  was 
  watched 
  pursuing 
  its 
  usual 
  methods, 
  more 
  often 
  than 
  

   not 
  guarding 
  against 
  possible 
  danger 
  from 
  roving 
  ants 
  by 
  

   watching 
  them 
  from 
  an 
  elevation, 
  usually 
  a 
  blade 
  of 
  grass 
  

   or 
  a 
  small 
  stone. 
  The 
  examples 
  observed, 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  

   sent, 
  are 
  numbered 
  399, 
  400, 
  401, 
  402, 
  408, 
  409, 
  410, 
  411. 
  

   [Each 
  number 
  is 
  borne 
  by 
  from 
  2 
  (410) 
  to 
  12 
  (399) 
  workers 
  of 
  

   P. 
  custodiens, 
  and, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  401 
  (no 
  fly 
  bearing 
  

   this 
  number), 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  Bengalia 
  gaillardi, 
  of 
  which 
  all 
  are 
  

   males 
  except 
  411.] 
  

  

  " 
  On 
  26th 
  January 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  faulty 
  perceptions 
  in 
  regard 
  

   to 
  this 
  species 
  of 
  ant, 
  also, 
  was 
  noticed, 
  for 
  a 
  (^ 
  Bengalia, 
  

   perched 
  on 
  a 
  blade 
  of 
  grass, 
  suddenly 
  swooped 
  down 
  on 
  a 
  

   large 
  worker, 
  400 
  [custodiens], 
  carrying 
  one 
  of 
  equal 
  size, 
  

   which 
  the 
  fly 
  endeavoured 
  to 
  seize. 
  The 
  attack 
  was 
  un- 
  

   successful, 
  but 
  the 
  ant 
  dropped 
  its 
  fellow 
  which 
  then 
  ran 
  

   away, 
  there 
  having 
  been, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  one 
  could 
  see, 
  no 
  urgent 
  

   reason 
  for 
  its 
  porterage. 
  

  

  " 
  Though 
  these 
  ants 
  are 
  so 
  excessively 
  numerous 
  at 
  Dar- 
  

   es-Salaam, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  corresponding 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  the 
  flies 
  ; 
  indeed 
  at 
  Linde, 
  where 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  ants 
  were 
  

   more 
  numerous 
  though 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  individuals 
  seemed 
  

   far 
  less, 
  the 
  fly 
  was 
  more 
  abundant, 
  possibly 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  

   greater 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  seemed 
  able 
  to 
  obtain 
  its 
  livelihood 
  

   from 
  less 
  redoubtable 
  foes. 
  

  

  " 
  On 
  31st 
  January 
  at 
  Dar-es-Salaam 
  a 
  further 
  experiment 
  

   was 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  feeding 
  habits 
  of 
  Bengalia. 
  A 
  living 
  larva 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sphegid 
  Sceliphron 
  spirifex, 
  L., 
  resting 
  prior 
  to 
  pupa- 
  

   tion, 
  was 
  put 
  into 
  a 
  cage 
  containing 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  flies 
  which 
  

   had 
  been 
  without 
  food 
  for 
  24 
  hours. 
  The 
  fly 
  straddled 
  

   across 
  it 
  without 
  the 
  least 
  hesitation, 
  and, 
  gripping 
  the 
  thoracic 
  

   region 
  with 
  its 
  fore-legs, 
  applied 
  its 
  proboscis 
  just 
  behind 
  the 
  

   head. 
  A 
  bead 
  of 
  exuded 
  body 
  fluid 
  proved 
  almost 
  at 
  once 
  

  

  