224 Prof. 0. Heer on the House Ant of Madeira. 



inundated^ tbey form themselves into a round cluster; the young, 

 with the weaker ones, within, the stronger on the outside, and 

 thus float about till they come to dry land. If they fall in witli 

 a broad ])iece of water in the way, they form, by laying hold of 

 each other, a chain across the water, along which the rest pass 

 as over a bridge. The Train-ant is also said to do the same. 

 Madame IMerian relates the process thus : — The iirst ant places 

 itself on a little bit of wood, and holds fast on to it by its fangs ; 

 a second lays hold of the first, a third in like manner of the 

 second, and so on. In this way they let themselves be 

 wafted over by the wind, until the last of the chain reaches the 

 other side, and then at once they pass over the bridge by thou- 

 sands. Tlie Driver-ant often forms similar chains from the twigs 

 of trees to the ground. Their food consists principally of animals, 

 and they kill large-sized ones; even the gigantic snake [Python 

 natalensis) is exposed to their attacks. Their first assault is 

 directed on the creature's eyes ; and, when surprised by them, 

 their immense numbers win the day. They make their way into 

 houses in crowds by night, when a universal flight of rats, 

 mice, lizards, beetles, and other vermin, announces their arrival, 

 and the inmates are obliged to leave their beds and take to flight 

 into the open air. 



Amongst the Ants of India, the Formica indefessa, Sykes, is 

 spoken of as destructive in houses ; and Lieut. Sykes has fur- 

 nished (Transact, of the Entomol. Sue. of London, p. 104) some 

 interesting observations, from which we shall extract the following 

 in particular : — A table laid out with sweets and dishes had its 

 legs placed in a vessel of water, and the water covered with oil of 

 turpentine, making it impossible for the ants to reach the legs 

 of the table. The table stood however near the wall, so that 

 the larger ants, holding on by their hind-legs to the wall, could 

 reach the table with their fore-legs and thus get upon it. The 

 table was therefore drawn further back ; but now the ants went 

 a foot higher up the wall than the level of the table, and jumped 

 down upon it from the wall, never falling between the table and 

 the wall to the ground, but always alighting on the table. 



In New Holland there are in particular two kinds of Eciton 

 (E. gulosum and E. forficatum, Latr.) which are much dreaded, 

 from their appearing in great numbers, and for their violent bite. 

 They are distinguished by their long and straight fangs. 



[To be continued.] 



