114 Maj. Gen. Hardvvicke on the Loves of the Ants, ^c. 



in the operation of milking the Aphides. The Ant is one of the 

 largest species found in Bengal, it is common in every province, and a 

 troublesome insect when it forms a lodgement in or near our habita- 

 tions; it is about half an inch in length, the head large and obcordate, 

 the jaws strong and many-toothed, the antennse many-jointed, the 

 first joint as long as all the rest: the petiole of the abdomen and the 

 thorax nearly equal in length, and both longer than the body. Every 

 part of the insect is of a deep black. Although a formidable insect, 

 it never appears to offer violence to the Larva it is so busily employed 

 among; but if a different tribe of Ants, or any other insect invades 

 their ground, they are soon seen to be in commotion and active 

 exertion to expel the intruders. At night they retire to their habitation, 

 which is often about the root (as in the present instance) of the 

 same plant ; — the bite of this Ant is severe, and it tenaciously holds fast 

 any thing into which it fixes its jaws. To the white Ants it is a formid- 

 able enemy ; and whenever it comes in contact with an uncovered part 

 of the gallery, under cover of which these depredators carry on their 

 operations, it is quite amusing to see the havock they make among them, 

 each Ant of many hundreds, seizing his victim, and bearing it off to 

 some nest of black Ants not far from the spot. In the drawing, [Tab. Supp. 

 XXX.] a. denotes the natural size of the Ant, and b. the same magnified. 



The Larva exhibited on the leaf, is distinguished by the letter c; 

 and the perfect insect by the letter d. ; at the letter e. is the same magni- 

 fied. At /. on the petiole of the leaf are several parallel rows of cells, 

 believed to be formed by the insect/. ; this is a Fabrician species of 

 Membracis, which we will call Membracis tricornis. The head, thorax, 

 and body are black; the wings of an ash-grey colour, longer and 

 broader than the body, and incumbent; the thorax is three-horned, two 

 of which are placed in front behind the eyes, about as long as the thorax, 

 strong, erect and curved outwards ; the third horn rises from the poste- 

 rior margin of the thorax, extending in a gentle arch the whole length 

 of the body, and tapering to the apex. The full size of this insect is 

 about tV of an inch. 



On other plants I have observed the same operation going forward; 

 but both, the Ants and the Aphides, of very different species. On some 

 plants I have seen the under surface of the leaves covered with Aphides, 



