HYMENOPTERA. 47 



A remarkable entrance to an ant's nest is shown at the bottom 

 of the case (339, 340). This ant, Phidole SyJcesi, forms its nest on 

 the side of steep hills, and round the entrance there is a curious 

 structure, consisting of concentric walls or ridges. The object of 

 these walls appears to be to protect the entrance from the water that 

 rushes down the hill during heavy rain. 



Specimens of various ants will be found in drawer 5 of the first 

 cabinet on the west side of the gallery. Among them examples of 

 the Foraging ants of Central and South America, Eciton ommvorum, 

 male and worker, and soldier and worker of Eciton hamatum. 

 These ants travel in enormous numbers, sometimes in narrow 

 lines, • sometimes in broad columns. They kill and carry away 

 with them cockroaches, beetles, and all kinds of insects, and even 

 lizards. 



The Driver ants of Africa, Anomma, are even more formidable, 

 and when foraging will attack and destroy all kinds of insects, as 

 well as large snakes, chickens, &c. Those that travel in this way 

 are the workers. The males are large winged insects and are known 

 as Dorylus. It is only in recent years that these insects were dis- 

 covered to be the males of Anomma ; hence the use of two names. 

 The females are large wingless insects, and are very rare. There is 

 a single example in the Museum which is believed to be the female 

 of Dorylus nigricans, of which Anomma Burmeisteri is believed to 

 be the worker. The variation in the sizes of the individuals, and 

 in the relative sizes of their heads is very remarkable. 



Specimens of (Ecophylla smaragdina, female and worker, above 

 referred to, and also workers of the Leaf -carrying, or " Umbrella 

 Ant," CEcodoma c&phalotes, are in the same drawer. 



Some eggs of an ant, Myrmeca, are exhibited in table-case 51. 



The " ant-eggs " sold as food for birds are not eggs, but the 



cocoons made by the larvae of ants. 



The species of Scolia are parasitic upon the larvge of beetles. A Table - 



case 51 

 series of Scolia Jiavifrons is exhibited in the same table-case. This 



species lives on the larva of a Rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes nasicomis. 



The female Scolia deposits an egg on the under side of the larva of 



the Oryctes and then closes the cocoon. The larva of the Scolia 



does not eat the Oryctes larva, but gradually sucks it dry. 



The species of PejJsis and Salius are among the largest known 

 wasps. A large Pepsis from Ecuador is exhibited. 



The species of Salius store their nests with spiders. The large 



