62 ANTS'-NEST BEETLES. 



The attention of coleopterists has been a good deal directed of 

 late years to a tribe of small Beetles, which are found in the 

 nests of various species of Ants, by whom they are watched over 

 and provided for with the greatest solicitude. The loves of the 

 Ants and the Aphides having long been celebrated, and the con- 

 nection between these Beetles and the Ants, in whose nests they 

 are retained, appears to be of a very similar character, and scarcely 

 less remarkable. It is extremely curious to observe the anxiety 

 which the Ants manifest for the safety of the Beetles, when a 

 nest containing any of them is disturbed. Immediately the 

 covering of the nest is removed, the Ants seize the Beetles in 

 their mouths, and run off with them to the interior chambers of 

 the nest in great alarm : and if, in the confusion of the moment, 

 one of the Beetles should chance to escape beyond the boundaries 

 of the nest, some of the Ants, directly it is seen, set off in pursuit 

 of the runaway, and bring him back nor are they at all disposed 

 to part with their burthen to the collector. The subject is by no 

 means fully investigated as yet ; but so far as is at present known, 

 the Ants retain these Beetles, as they attend the Aphides, solely 

 for the sake of the secretion they obtain from them. It appears 

 that the Beetles are for the most part kept quite secluded from 

 the outer world, and are wholly dependent for support on the 

 Ants, who are said rather fancifully we suspect to feed them 

 with the juices of flowers. 



These Ants'-nest Beetles being but sparingly represented in 

 most of our collections at present, the poor Antg have their 

 establishments sadly tumbled about in the eagerness of collectors 

 to secure specimens. The ardour of the search is considerably 

 enhanced by the fact, that some of the species already found here 

 are extremely rare, and that it is quite possible others not yet 

 known as British may turn up in a lucky moment. But if the 

 prizes are great, the expenditure of time and trouble to secure 

 them is not small. The instructions that are given as to the 

 proper mode of securing these pigmy treasures, are rather dis- 

 couraging. In order to go to work successfully, the first business 

 is to convey a supply of large rough stones or bricks to the wood 

 which is to be the scene of action ; that done, three or four ot 

 the stones are to be placed around the sloping sides of every ant's 

 nest, and then your traps are laid. Now visit the nests as often 

 as possible distance of course not to be thought of: tie your 



