474 Miscellaneous. 



The case related reminded him that some years ago a collector 

 of butterflies in the suburbs informed him that he frequently ob- 

 tained male specimens of the Cecropia and Luna moths by pinning 

 females to the side of the window, when, in the morning after, he 

 would almost certainly find males in conjunction with them. The 

 means by which the males thus find their mates at night and in 

 out-of-the-way places were not obvious, as the insects appear to be 

 incapable of producing sounds or scents that are appreciable to our 

 senses. — Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., July 1879. 



On Myrmecocystus mexicanus, Wesm. 



Rev. H. C. M'Cook exhibited several glass formicaries contain- 

 ing a large number of living specimens of the honey-ant, Myrme- 

 cocystus mexicanus, Wesmael. These embraced three worker castes 

 (major, minor, and dwarf), the honey-bearer, and the fertile queen. 

 The artificial nests had been brought from the Garden of the Gods, 

 Colorado, where the honey-ant had been discovered by Mr. M'Cook. 

 They had previously been supposed to be confined to a more southern 

 latitude. The nests are found on the tops or southern slopes of 

 ridges. In exterior architecture they are small gravel-covered 

 moundlets, truncated cones, pierced in the centre by a gate or per- 

 pendicular opening from three to six inches deep. The interior 

 architecture was illustrated by numerous specimens brought from 

 excavated nests. It consists of a series of underground galleries 

 and chambers, cut through the gravel and sandstone to the distance 

 of nearly eight feet in length, two to four feet beneath the surface, 

 and about ten to twelve inches in width at the widest part. 



The honey-bearers were found hanging in groups to the roofs of 

 the honey-chambers by their feet, their large globular abdomens 

 looking like bunches of small Delaware grapes. About eight to ten 

 chambers, containing each an average of about thirty honey-bearers, 

 were found. The workers cared for the honey-bearers when the 

 chambers were opened, and dragged them into the unopened parts. 



The ants proved to be nocturnal in their habits, remaining within 

 doors until after sunset, about 7.30 p.m., each evening, when the 

 workers issued forth in column and dispersed among the clumps of 

 scrub oak (Qnercus undulata). Here they sought the galls made by 

 a species of Cynips, which grow abundantly on the bushes, and 

 licked therefrom a sweet exudation which issued in small transpa- 

 rent beads from the surface. From 11.30 p.m. to about 3.30 a.m., 

 when the first streakings of dawn began to appear, the workers 

 returned home laden with the honey. This appears to be fed to 

 the sedentary honey-bearers by disgorging it in the usual way, and 

 remains within the globular abdomens as a store for future use. 

 The economy of this habit appears to resemble that of the bee, the 

 exception being that the bee's honey is stored within the inorganic 

 substance of a waxen cell, while the ant's is lodged within the 

 organic tissue of the living insect. — Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 

 Sept. 1879. 



