Se ee ee a ee ee 
Miscellaneous. 389 
of such attempts. The fact is, but few of these can be reached by gas, 
let the bellows blow ever so hard; nor can many be killed by poison, 
even if the most deadly be placed within their doorways, for as soon 
as they discover harm, they form a newentrance. The only effectual 
method of destroying them is to dig, and kill the females and young, 
when the neuters will perish. This is so expensive that it will only 
be resorted to near a garden or dwelling ; and as the Cutting Ants are 
seattered through western and central Texas, they probably never will 
be exterminated by man.—From the Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences of 
Philadelphia, 1860, page 233. 
Note on Fredericella Sultana being found in the Winter. 
By The Rev. W. Hoveurton, M.A., F.L.S. 
To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 
GEnTLEMEN,—Professor Allman, in his valuable Monograph of 
the Freshwater Polyzoa (Ray Society, 1856), draws attention to the 
following fact in the economy of Fredericella Sultana :—* The stato- 
blasts are small and seem to be but sparingly produced,—a cireum- 
stance in which this animal differs strikingly from several species of 
Aleyonella and Plumatella, in which the tubes at the proper season 
are constantly found loaded with statoblasts in the greatest profu- 
sion.” In confirmation of the truth of the above remark, and as an 
interesting fact explanatory of the comparative scarcity of the stato- 
blasts in the tubes of Fredericella Sultana, I have to observe that I 
have met with this species in the months of December and January, 
as well as in the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. This species, 
therefore, it would appear, is perennial,—a pomt in which it differs 
from perhaps all the other members of the Freshwater Polyzoa. Now 
this seems to me to be a very satisfactory explanation of the fact 
alluded to by Dr. Allman, inasmuch as this species, since it lasts 
through the year, requires not a profusion of statoblasts. I know 
not whether any other species of freshwater Polyzoa are, like the 
Fredericella, perennial, but I am inclined to believe that the above- 
named species is an exception to the rule, and that all the members 
of the other genera which occur in this country do not last through 
the year; hence in these cases the necessity of a profusion of stato- 
blasts (for but a very few, comparatively speaking, ever germinate) 
as a provision for fresh colonies in the spring of every succeeding 
_ ‘year. I remain, Gentlemen, 
Truly yours, 
Solihull, Oct. 18, 1860. W. Hoveurton. 
Note on Mr. Blyth’s Paper on the Animals known as Wild Asses. 
By Major R. Srracuey, F.R.S., F.L.S. 
In Mr. Blyth’s recent paper on the Animals known as wild Asses, 
he states that ‘‘the late Professor H. Walker referred the Tibetan 
Kyang to Equus hemionus of Pallax and the Ghor-khur of this 
country is even more satisfactorily referable to H. onager of Pallas, 
