254 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



The sixth meeting of the Winter Session was held in the 

 Museum, College Square North, on Tuesday evening, i8th 

 March— the President, W. H. Patterson, Esq., M.R.I.A., in the 

 chair — when a paper was read by Mr. Charles Bulla upon 

 "Ants." 



After describing the structure of these remarkable insects 

 and quoting various passages from Sir J. Lubbock, Mr. White, 

 and others regarding their habits, the reader gave some of his 

 own experiences in the study of ants in '' formicaria," or por- 

 table ants' nests, of the type of those used by Lubbock, White, 

 and other observers. He described his sensations when opening 

 out his first batch of ants, received from a country friend 

 through the medium of the parcels post, and the manner in 

 which his guests by degrees made themselves at home in their 

 new domicile. These formicaria, of which he has two, of dif- 

 ferent construction, both chiefly of glass, were exhibited, and in 

 them could be seen the ants engaged in their avocations, re- 

 pairing and improving the various passages, tending the young, 

 fighting — for, alas, a few days ago part of a new tribe had been 

 introduced into one of them, and war had been the result. 

 Finally, the battle over, some could be seen removing the dead 

 to a cemetery set apart in one corner of the domain. The reader 

 strongly advised the audience to take to ant study for themselves, 

 as being both easy, inexpensive, and without risk, as most of the 

 local species are stingless. Nothing is required but a glass jar 

 or box and a little slightly moist earth. An interesting discus- 

 sion followed the reading of the paper, in which Messrs. J. J. 

 Murphy, Greer, Stewart, Wright, Marsh, and Lockwood took 

 part. 



The seventh meeting was held in the Museum, College 

 Square— the President, W. H. Patterson, Esq., M.R.I.A., in the 

 chair — when a valuable paper was read on " The Age of the 

 Basalts of the North-east Altantic," by J. Starkie Gardner, Esq., 

 F.L.S., F.G.S., M.G.S. France. 



