66 Bibliographical Notices. take dead animal matter. It is also occasionally found in the train of caterpillars feeding on leaves. It makes large excava-tions underground, generally having the entrance round the trunk of a tree, and it forms considerable heaps of fine earth round the mouth of the nest. It runs, unlike the last species, with its abdomen turned downwards under the abdominal pedi-cles. It appears to form the type of a very distinct group from the last. 22. Myrmica? tarda, Jerdon (p. 115). Worker, length ^th of an inch ; head somewhat triangular, square behind, of same width as thorax ; eyes rather small, quite lateral, somewhat posterior ; antennae short, thick, inserted near the mouth ; thorax short, square, ending in two spines on each side, it and the head rough and shagreened ; abdominal pedicles much raised, long, narrow; abdomen triangular, also shagreened; head, thorax, legs and abdominal pedicles brick-red ; abdomen dusky, dark blue. This is a very curious-looking ant. It lives in holes in the ground in small societies, and feeds on vegetable secretions. It moves very slowly. It is found both in the Car-natic and Malabar. 23. Myrmica ? caca, Jerdon (p. 116). Worker, length jth of an inch ; head somewhat oval, rather small ; no eyes ; antennae short, thick, inserted near the mouth ; an oblique groove on each side of forehead for the insertion of the antennae ; jaws triangular, hooked at the tip, and finely serrated ; thorax narrow, of uniform width, granulose, with an elevation posteriorly ending in two small spines ; abdominal pedicles raised, rounded, pointed backwards, the first the highest ; abdo-men long, oval ; head, thorax and legs reddish brown ; abdomen glossy brown. I found this curious ant only once, under a stone in the Wynaad. [To be continued.] BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. The Palm Trees of the Amazon and their Uses, By A. R. Wallace. With 48 Plates. London : Van Voorst, 1853. We beg most strongly to recommend this book, as one that will not interest the botanist alone, but give pleasure to unbotanical readers. It must be looked upon as a highly valuable companion to the great work on Palms by Martins, supplying to us a very clear idea of the general appearance of the palm-trees. Being the work of a professed and excellent naturalist, it is quite trustworthy even in the
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