225 
May 31, 1912. The guEEXPLAND Naturalist. 
Ant, that was an harvesting species also (c.f. Proc. Roy. 
Soc. Qd. II. 1885 and Qd. Ag. Journal, VII., p. 71, 1900). 
The term megacephala ” {Gt. large head) was bestowed 
on the insect before us by Fabricius (1), in allusion to the 
enormously large head possessed by one class of individuals 
composing the ant-community — viz, the “ Workers Major 
or Soldiers.” It is, however, a character that is not peculiar 
to this ant ; all other kinds of Pheidole presenting us with 
some large headed individuals. 
The genus Pheidole they represent— is a very 
large one, especially prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical 
countries ; and it has many species in Australia, and in 
Queensland especially. 
Notwithstanding ' Pheidole megacephulct is not a native 
of Australia, but an exotic insect, that, having been intro- 
duced here, has become naturalized. 
There is some uncertainty regarding its original home, 
but the earliest notices of it describe it as occurring in 
Mauritius (Fabricius), and Madeira (Heer). 
With regard to the latter site, the German naturalist 
Heer (3), writing in 1862 already ascribes to it troublesome 
domestic habits ; as is implied in the title of his paper ; 
in which he gives account of it, and in the new name with 
which he designates its subject : — (Ecophthora pusilla — 
Uber die Hausameise Madeira’s.” 
We soon again learn that it is an ant that lends itself 
to wide distribution. For during the year that preceded 
the date of Professor Heer’s brochure, the Rev. W. Farren 
White (8) found it in numbers in a particular tenement 
at Exeter (England), and it still continued to be prevalent 
there in 1877. 
Again, Dr. G. Mayr (6), in describing the Ants, in the 
account of the Zoology of the ‘‘ Novara Expedition,” stated 
that Pheidole merjucephala (Fabr.) was a species that it was 
very necessary to know about, since it was one that was 
quickly spreading over all i^arts of the earth. He also 
pointed out that the Ceylon ant. named in 1862 by Motst^hul- 
sky (5) — (Ecophthora ceylonicu, was identical with the one 
now under consideration. In 1883, E. Andre (7) speaks of 
it as occurring, not only in South Africa, Algeria and Turke- 
stan, but in “touts les regions tropicales et subtropicales 
due monde entier.” More recently, i.e., in 1887, Prof. 
C, Emery (9) has intimated that in the collections of the 
“ Museo Civico ” of Genoa, are specimens from Amboyna 
Celebes, New Guinea, Andai and Ramoi : thus confirming 
part of Mayr’s statement. Writers again have described it 
as being naturalised in the Hawaian Islands. 
The habits of ants belonging to the genus Pheidole, 
are conducive to their dissemination through commerce 
in living plants. Thus Dr, A. Forel (10), writing in 1901, 
