60 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Haploidonotus grdnnieus, Raf. — Sheepshead ; Grunting Perch. — 

 I have noticed two specimen of the Grunting Perch, a species before 

 unknown here, taken in the Whitewater in the summer of 1881. They 

 bit freely and persistently on a hook baited with a small minnow under 

 a float. — E. R. Quick, Brookville, Franklin county, Indiana. 



ENTOMOLOGY. , 



Hymenoptera. — A Slave Foray. 



Formica ruber and Formica niger. — Driving some pigs out of 

 a corn patch one day at a run, I was startled by what appeared to 

 be a long red snake, so much so that I sprang: over it, and after 

 disposing of the marauders, returned to see what this thing might 

 be. It proved to be an army of red ants returning from the plunder of 

 a black ant settlement. It was then about one hundred yards long, 

 marching well closed up, three or four abreast, and about half an inch 

 wide in column. About eveiy tenth ant carried a black ball in its 

 mandibles, which proved to be an ant. On touching Ruber the burden 

 was dropped, which then scurried to one side and hid. They were 

 carried into an ant hill behind my barn, and made to dig underground, 

 but not allowed to come out, their captors carrying out large quantities 

 of clay pellets. 



These forays are made in the fall, when the young brood is nearly 

 full grown. The JSFigers fight bravely for their }'oung, but are over- 

 powered by numbers. The young only are taken, as the weight and 

 resistance of the old ones makes them undesirable. 



I met a similar army in a wood, when a boy, but it was much longer, 

 and had just struggled up a hill, and many were dead when dropped. 

 Excavations have resulted in some curious discoveries. On reaching 

 the queen's chamber, she was found surrounded by a body guard, who 

 refused to budge, and she and they were removed to a glass case, when 

 her guard at once surrounded her. Food was put in one corner, but it 

 remained untouched a whole da}-, though the guard was very uneasy, 

 vibrating their antennae violently, but ai wa}*s facing the queen. As they 

 refused to feed, starvation was imminent. A few black ants from the 

 hill were now introduced, who, taking in the situation at once, rushed 

 to the food, and after feeding the queen, also fed the guard. 



Here we have an insect, without speech, communicating the dis- 

 covery of a black settlement,* the rallying of a host, the regular march 



* They wait till fall. 



