fielde] 



ANT-NESTS 



37 



ANT NESTS FOR THE SCHOOLROOM 



Suggestions from a paper by Adele M. Fielde, in Biological Bulletin 



The ants are, with perhaps the exception of bees, the most inter- 

 esting insects which can easily be kept for daily observation, and 

 teachers will welcome recent improvements in methods of keeping 

 them in captivity under conditions which they may be easily 

 observed whenever desired. Most important of improved methods 

 are those recently described in Biological Bulletin (Vol. 7, No. 4, 

 Sept., 1904), by Adele M. Field, of New York, who seems to 

 have brought near to perfection the ant nests which she first de- 

 scribed in 1900. She now has ants which have lived, without 

 earth, for three years in health and contentment. 



I S 



Food 



V////////////////^~~ //////////////////a 



I 







Food 



S ) 



( S 



y//////////////////////////////////////////////^^^^ ~~~ 



Floor plans of 2- and 3-room ant-nesls. The oblique shading represents the walls and S the sponge 



for moisture. 



The Fielde nests are made as follows : The foundation or floor 

 of the nest is a pane of thick window glass ( 10 by 6 or 6 by 4 

 inches). This is laid on a sheet of thick, white blotting paper; 

 but the paper is not fastened to the glass. Next, a wall is built 

 up about one-fourth inch from the edge of the glass (see figure). 

 This wall is made by cementing (with Diamond, Major's, or other 

 crockery cement) to the floor plate four glass strips about one-half 



