The Queensland Naturalist 
25 
April 1934. 
interesting* ants known to the entomologist. The primitive 
Ponerine ants (Bulldog ants), honey-pot ants, green tree 
ants, mound ants, and many others are well worthy of 
study. The structure of the nest, the relation of the differ- 
ent castes in the nest to one another, the enemies, and the 
inquilines are phases of this study, to which men in other 
parts of the world have devoted their lives. 
This list of suggestions could be multiplied many 
times, but the above are considered to be the most suitable 
for members of the Naturalists' Club. Any one of them 
will provide a most interesting study in Natural History, 
and it is to be hoped that some of the members of the Club 
will endeavour to adopt them. 
THOMAS LANE BANCROFT, NATURALIST. 
By HENRY TRYON. 
Since the date of issue of the last volume of Queens- 
land Naturalist there departed from amongst us one who 
had veritably won that title in a life-long career, in the 
person of “Tom Bancroft 7 ’ — Dr. T. L. Bancroft, M.B. 
(Edin.), the only son of the late Dr. Joseph Bancroft, M.D., 
and one, too, of like fame. A short illness at Wallaville 
preceded his death, at the age of 73 years, on 12th Novem- 
ber, 1933, his interment being in the Toowong (Brisbane) 
cemetery on 14th November. He was educated at the Bris- 
bane Grammar School, thence he proceeded to the Edin- 
burgh University, where he took his medical degree. 
On returning to Brisbane in the early 'eighties, his 
spare time was soon devoted to natural history pursuit, 
especially at Burpengary, Deception Bay, and for the be- 
hoof of the^ Queensland Museum, to which already in 1884 
he donated several fish, including the remarkable local 
Ray, Aetobatis narinari. For the Queensland Museum he 
collected specimens of birds and insects, and the Queensland 
Herbarium benefitted by an extensive series of botanical 
specimens, including groups such as the cliarophytes, 
marine and fresh water algae, etc. 
In 1885 he entered upon the post of Resident Doctor 
at the Innisfail (then Geraldton) Hospital, North Queens- 
land. Here again lie paid considerable attention to both 
animal and plant life. Thus to the above institutions he 
contributed further specimens of birds and plants respec- 
tively-. This post he held till the following year (1886.)., 
when he left Geraldton and visited the Flinders River 
and Gregory River countries and Normanton, whence also 
the Museum and the Herbarium received specimens col- 
lected in these districts by him. It may be mentioned that 
