292 



ME. A. It. WALLACE ON INDIAN ETC. 



The GEcopliylla smaragdina is one of the most widely distributed 

 ants in the archipelago, and is abundant in most forests. "When 

 alive the abdomen is of a bright olive- green colour. It makes a 

 nest by gluing together the edges of leaves, often those of Zingi- 

 beraceous plants ; and when disturbed it rushes out apparently in 

 a great rage, and makes a loud rattling noise by tapping against 

 the leaves. This perhaps serves to frighten away some of its 

 enemies ; and it also possesses a rudimentary power of stinging, 

 which gives very little pain. It is an exceedingly active and in- 

 telligent-lookiDg species. 



The Odontomachid^e, comprising the single genus Odonto- 

 machus, are long and slender ants with enormous hooked jaws. 

 I found them generally wandering about on the ground in the 

 forests. They both bite and sting, the latter being the most 

 painful, as they seem to want muscular power to do more than 

 hold on tight with their jaws. I found a nest of O. tyran- 

 nus in the Aru Islands, composed of coarse papery fibre, in the 

 fork of a small tree. O. rixosus was observed at Ternate coming 

 out of holes eaten into the pith of the sticks of a fence, formed, 

 I believe, of some Bombaceous shrub. Neither species nor indi- 

 viduals of this genus were abundant. 



The PoNEKiDiE are generally large-sized ants, which are not 

 abundant, but sting very severely. P. Iceviceps was found under 

 rotten bark. P. maligna was observed upon rocks in N. Ce- 

 lebes, carrying away Termites. Amhlyopone castanea was found 

 in abundance under rotten bark and fern-roots. The new genus, 

 Mesoxena, was taken at night, visiting my sugar -jar. 



"We now come to the Myrmecid^i, the destroying ants " par 

 excellence," and the most abundant in individuals of the whole 

 group. The genus JSIyrmica consists chiefly of small red or 

 yellow species, many of which are preeminently house-ants, and 

 are a constant nuisance to the resident in the tropics. M. 

 ruficeps and M. pedestris were found under rotten bark, almost 

 solitary, and each with a few eggs. M. pellucida and M. agilis 

 are small house-ants, and not very destructive. M. vexator and 

 M. vastator well deserve their names. They swarm in houses 

 almost everywhere, and, to the naturalist especially, are a con- 

 stant source of trouble. Nothing but isolation by water, or, 

 better still, by oil, will preserve any animal or vegetable sub- 

 stance from their attacks. They also sting most acutely, and 



