BY REV. E. C. SPICER, M.A. 



81 



named that can produce a distinct and peculiar sound, quite 

 easily heard 8 inches from the human ear, so that I think we 

 are justified in concluding that the Ants of that species at 

 least can perceive sounds which do not belong exclusively to 

 the hidden music of the universe, but to the ordinary flats and 

 sharps of daily live. 



The Ant is solitary in its habits ; like the Bull-dog or Soldier 

 Ant, it lives in a community inhabiting a single hole. It is 

 rather large in size, being over half-an-inch in length, is in- 

 tensely hard, in most parts of Australia intensely black, but 

 in Queensland the abdomen has a slightly reddish hue. It is 

 timid in its habits, for when touched it curls its abdomen under 

 it and runs away very fast, giving rise to the schoolboy's name 

 of " Scrineh Ant." There are a few around Brisbane. I have 

 seen holes upon One-tree Hill, and the accompanying specimens 

 I found in a paddock beyond the Hospital. The nest is peculiar, 

 the opening of the hole small ; but there are many large un- 

 derground chambers, one being very near the surface, a wide 

 low broad chamber where the pupee are carried on warm days 

 for the purpose of hatching, being thus protected from the too 

 severe rays of the sun. They are strong and active in habits. 

 Their holes are found strewed with the carapaces of very large 

 beetles, so that if a man were strong in proportion, two or three 

 of us could easily drag a dead elephant. 



If seized by the back and held in the air they make angry 

 efforts to bite and sting ; failing this they become distressed, and 

 the rings of the abdomen are seen to be in rapid motion, when 

 if they are held near the ear a series of rapid jerky, hissing, and 

 chirping sounds is heard quite clearly. Upon examining the 

 abdominal rings it is found that the proximal and second are 

 largely developed, and the joint between them much wider than 

 usual, the under surfaces are roughened and the sound is 

 evidently made by the rapid motion of one ring inside the other, 

 thus producing the sound which is no doubt heard by members 

 of the same species by means of some organs, which, possibly, 

 might be more easily discovered in this species by a skilful 

 anatomist. It would be extremely interesting if this fact could 

 be settled by Australian observation. 



