FORMICIM. 
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material, or nesting in hollows in trunks or branches ; nests were found in 
Mantid egg cases, the eggs having been partly removed. It has a habit 
of turning up its abdomen over the body as if threatening to use its 
sting. It bites freely and is stated to keep “ ant cattle.” Monomorium 
destructor , Jerd., and M. pharaonis, Linn., like some later "species, are 
widespread over the tropics and have probably been carried by 
shipping. M. indicum, Forel, is not uncommon in buildings in the rains, 
nesting in cracks in the masonry. M, gracillimum, Sm., is found 
in houses in thatched huts and on trees. A nest was found in the 
excavated pith of a dry stalk of Sann Hemp in the wall of a thatched 
hut; they have a very painful sting and are a decided nuisance in 
houses. They attend mealy bugs on plants and also carry off flour, 
fat, etc., from store rooms. Holcomyrmex scabriceps, Mayr., is the 
familiar harvesting ant of the Punjab, which gathers seeds of grass 
and millets into its nests and stores them in galleries. The nest is 
easy to find as there is a ring of chaff round it at a little distance and 
the ant’s roads can be followed to the nest from some distance. 
Comparatively large quantities of seed can be extracted from a nest 
and, in times of scarcity, this grain is dug out of the nest and used as 
food. We have seen a pint of seed taken out of one nest . 
Solenopsis geminata, Fabr., is the brown ant of India, nesting usually 
in the ground. Phidole rhombinoda , Mayr., is stated by Rothney to 
surround its nest with the leaflet of a mimosa, as a protection against 
the sun. Sima rufo-nigra, Jerd., is very common in India, nesting in 
trees. The sting of the female is, according to Rothney, ‘ ‘ the most 
painful of any Aculeate I am acquainted with.” This virulent insect 
appears in May. Nests have been found also in hollows in bamboos 
with neat round exit holes at intervals. Sima alloborans , Web., nests 
in young shoots of bamboos and in tree trunks ; when disturbed, the ants 
discharge a drop of white liquid. 
Cataulacus includes sluggish ants of a jet black colour; C. taprobance, 
Sm., nests in hollow bamboos and C. latus, For., in the branches of 
teak and siris trees. 
Dolichoderince.—Tapinoma melanocephalum , Fabr., has once been 
found to be injurious under peculiar circumstances. The workers were 
found in large numbers in small temporary chambers at the base of young 
