1879.] MR. R. B. WHITE ON ATTA CEPHALOTES. 713 



December 2, 1879. 

 Prof. A. Newton, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary made the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during October 1879 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of October was 133, of which 2 were by 

 birth, 93 by presentation, 30 by purchase, 4 were received in ex- 

 change, and" 4 on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 119. 



The most noticeable addition during the month was 



An example of Elliot's Guinea-fowl {Numida ellioti), purchased 

 October 2nd. This is the first living example we have yet acquired 

 of this peculiar Guinea-fowl, which was first described in the Society's 

 Proceedings for 1877, p. 652, by Mr. Bartlett. It was transmitted 

 from Zanzibar, along with other examples of the same species and 

 examples of the Vulturine Guinea-fowl (Nutnida vulturina) and of 

 the Mitred Guinea-fowl {Numida mitrata), and is from some part 

 of the East-African coast. 



A letter was read addressed to the Secretary by Mr. E. L. Layard, 

 F.Z.S., urging the desirability of the adoption by naturalists of a 



fixed scale of colour in describing animals 



Mr. Tegetmeier exhibited the head of a Deer (Cervus damn) from 

 ■which the antlers had been sawn off close to the burr. The animal 

 had escaped shortly after this operation, and had been shot subse- 

 quently. It was then found that a new pair of antlers had grown, each 

 one taking its origin in a ring surrounding the base of the previous 

 cut antler, which remained attached to the skull. The new antlers 

 were imperfectly developed, very irregular, and unsymmetrical. 



The following letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Mr. 

 Robert B. White, C.M.Z.S., H.B.M. Acting Consul at Medellin, 

 U. S. of Colombia. 



Medellin, 

 U. S. of Colombia, S. A. 

 August 24th, 1879. 

 Sir, — I beg to communicate to you the following observations 

 upon the habits of a species of Ant (Atta cephalotes), and upon a 

 method of defence against the ravages of this insect. 



There are two varieties of this ant recognized by the people here :— 

 a large insect which attacks and carries off indiscriminately all 

 classes of foliage ; and an insect one third smaller, which in a similar 

 manner attacks grasses and minor vegetation. The habits of both 

 ants are identical ; but the large kind is that which causes most 

 injury to plantations. 



Having observed that no vegetation cornea amiss to this ant, that, 



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