HYMENOPTERA. 47 



A remarkable entrance to an ant's nest is shown at the bottom 

 of the case (339, 340). This ant, Pliidole Syliesi, forms its nest on 

 the side of steep hills, and round the entrance there is a curious 

 structure, consisting of concentric walls or ridges. The object of 

 these walls appears to be to protect the entrance from the water that 

 rushes down the hill during heavy rain. 



Specimens of various ants will be found in drawer 5 of a cabinet Table- 

 on the west side of the gallery, and in Table-case 45. Among them case 45 

 examples of the Foraging ants of Central and South America, Eciton 

 omnivorum, male and worker, and soldier and worker of Eciton hama- 

 tum. These ants travel in enormous numbers, sometimes in narrow 

 lines, sometimes in broad columns. They kill and carry away 

 with them cockroaches, beetles, and all kinds of insects, and even 

 lizards. 



The Driver ants of Africa, Anomma, are even more formidable, 

 and when foraging will attack and destroy all kinds of insects, as 

 well as large snakes, chickens, &c. Those that travel in this way 

 are the workers. The males are large winged insects and are known 

 as Dorylus. It is only in recent years that these insects were dis- 

 covered to be the males of Anomma ; hence the use of two names. 

 The females are large wingless insects, and are rarely found. There 

 is a single example in the Museum which is believed to be the female 

 of Dorylus nigricans, of which Anomma Burmeisteri is believed to 

 be the worker. The variation in the sizes of the individuals, and 

 in the relative sizes of their heads, is very remarkable. 



Specimens of (Ecophylla smaragdina, female and worker, above 

 referred to, and also workers of the " Leaf -carry ing," or " Umbrella 

 Ant," (Ecodoma cephalotes, are in the same case. 



Some eggs of an ant, Myrmica, are also exhibited. The " ant- 

 eggs " sold as food for birds are not eggs, but the cocoons made by 

 the larvae of ants. 



Wasps of the genus Scolia are parasitic upon the larvaa of beetles. Table- 

 A series of Scolia flavifrons is exhibited in Table-case 46. This species case 46 

 lives on the larva of a Rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes nasicornis. The 

 female Scolia deposits an egg on the under side of the larva of the 

 Oryctes after paralysing it with her sting. The larva of the Scolia 

 does not eat the Oryctes larva, but gradually sucks it dry. 



The species of Pepsis and Salius are among the largest known 

 wasps. A large Pepsis from Ecuador is exhibited. 



The species of Salius store their nests with spiders. The large 



