OUR ANTS. 35" 



Gen. 3. Polyrachis (Sbuckard). 

 In this genus, the first segment of the abdomen is as long as all 

 the rest together, which gives the abdomen a spherical form. There 

 is only one form of § , which, moreover, varies very little in size.* 

 All the species are more or less armed with spines. The genus is 

 little developed on this side of India, and especially in the Dekhan, 

 but from Burma some 20 species ai*e recorded. The Bombay 

 species are never found in our bungalows ; they are a quiet, 

 timid folk. Though I have frequently watched them, I have never 

 been able to detect their source of food supply. I have noticed 

 that even the arboreal species seem to come to the ground when 

 foraging. The use of a spun material in the nest seems to 

 differentiate it from Camponotits in India, though, I believe, this 

 difference does not hold good all over the world, as the two 

 genera are at present divided. 



21. P. IcBuior (Roger) race: dehilis (Emery.) 

 Poena Districts. 



Thana Districts F. Gleadow. 



Kanara F- H. Aitken. 



This is a comparatively j'are species in the Dekhan, where I have 

 only taken it twice, near the Ghats ; but in the moist Konkan, it is 

 fairly common, as it seems to be also in Kanara. It is easily 

 distinguishable from the other Bombay species, by its shiny, 

 polished appearance. It is ai'boreal, and makes a nest by joining 

 together two leaves, with a band of spun material, more or less 

 adulterated with some vegetable product; both the nests I took 

 were on fig trees {Ficus glomerata) ; and the adulterating material 

 was composed of minute particles, or scales, of the bark. Dr. Forel 

 is inclined to regard this as a synonym of rasfellafa. I must 

 repeat that members must wait for a definite solution of this and 

 similar questions until Dr. ForeFs critical study of 'our ants' 

 reaches this genus. 



22. P. Icevissivia (Smith). 



Moulmain, Burma Major Bingham. 



Calcutta and Barrackpur G. A. J. Eothney. 



* (Here and elsewhere where this remark is made it refers to normal ^ 5 the ^ 

 of a young nest, i. e , the first born of a ^ , are nearly always undersized.) 



