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REPORT ON ZOOLOGY, MDCCCXLII : 
the presence of many other insects in ants’ nests, particularly the larva 
of Cetonia, by their feeding upon the rotten wood collected in the nest ; 
but doubts whether they are acceptable to the inhabitants. 
The high temperature, which is found in the interior of the ants’ 
nests, does not arise from the mass of insects themselves, but from the 
decomposition of animal and vegetable remains there gathered together, 
for a like temperature is found in deserted nests. This last remark 
appears to me very important in gaining a correct view of the accumu- 
lations of the ant, and their connection with so many fellow inhabitants. 
The ants prepare for themselves a sort of boggy bed under their nest, 
and favour the presence of other insects in it, which, as they feed upon 
the boggy mass, further its decomposition, and by this means the de- 
velopment of heat. 
Fred. Smith (Transact. Ent. Soc. London, iii. p. 151) has made some 
observations on several British Ants, principally with regard to the ap- 
pearance of the ditferent states. His account is deserving of notice. 
He states, that the ants seize upon and carry into their nest, the Aleo- 
charce found there {Myrmedonia, Lomechusa, Atemeles, Pella), and if 
they attempt to fly away, they are taken again and brought back. 
Gene has given an excellent description of the natural history of the 
Myrmica rediana, of which, although distributed over all Italy, and 
living in chinks of walls and cracks in the bark of old trees, the sexes 
are not yet satisfactorily determined (1. c. p. 3). 
The reporter (Arch. 1842, i. p. 256) has described four new species of 
Formica, and characterized a new genus, Amhyopone, which, belonging 
to the group Poneres, has the form of mandibles common to Myrmecia, 
F., and is distinguished by its very small eyes. The workers alone, of 
the single species, A. australis, were at that time known ; the female 
has now been procured. 
VESPAREiE. — Gene has made an observation on the presence of Filarioi 
in the Hornet, Vespa crdbro (1. c. p. 20). He placed the worms which 
came from the body of the insect in water, where they lived for a long 
while, as if in their natural element. 
Apiare^. — Thwaites (Proceed. Ent. Soc. p. 57) believes, that the 
Prosopis {Hylaeus) is not parasitical. He has reared two specimens from 
the stalks of brambles, the burrows in which exactly agreed in width 
with the thickness of the insect, and there were no other bees small 
enough to have made them, and likely to be found in that situation, 
except Heriodes, which do not occur in that neighbourhood (Bristol). 
The cells lie in a row close behind each other, the males foremost, so 
that they must first creep out. It is very desirable, that we should find 
out upon what the larva feeds, as the bee possesses no external contri- 
vance for carrying in pollen. Five species of the same genus have been 
characterized as new by F. Smith (ibid. p. 58) ; but with a diagnosis 
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