[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 23 (X.S.), Pt. I., 1910.] Art. XX. — Australian and Tasnutnian Coleoptei-a In-habiting or Resort iny to tJic Nests of Ants, Bees, and Termites. By ARTHUR M. LEA. (With Plates XXY.-XXVIl.). [Read 14th July, 1910]. For about tAventy years, whenever the opportunity presented itself, I have examined the nests of ants, bees, and termites, in which, as is well known, many remarkable forms of insect life are to be found. Many species have been recorded from such nests by past and present workers at Australian beetles, but no paper dealing with them as a whole has hitherto been published. In 1904, however, I had the privilege of offering to this Society a short paper dealing with some ants'-nest beetles, including two very curious new genera, that were taken in the Mallee by Mr. J. C. Goudie. Since then Mr. Goudie has taken other curious forms, and Messrs. H. W. Davey of Geelong, H. W. Cox and Dr. E. W. Ferguson of Sydney, have sent many species from ants' nests, and at various times a few others were received from Messrs. C. French of Melbourne, George Masters, H. J. Carter, W. W. Froggatt and Taylor Bros, of Sydney, H. H. D. Griffith of Adelaide, H. Elgner of Cape York, H. Hacker of Cairns, Mrs. F. H. Hobler of Toowoomba, and Mr. Aug. Siraison of Launceston. A few also were received from the Australian Museum that were taken by the late Rev. R. L. King. As the total number of species now known to me is very considerable, it was thought advisable to prepare a paper dealing with them, Ijut including in it all the species hitherto recorded as having been taken in the nests of ants, bees and termites in Australia. It is hoped also that papers dealing with species of other orders of insects found in ants' nests will be published shortly, as materials for such have been accumulating for some time, and several specialists have been requested to deal with them.
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