March, '09! ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 113 



An Artificial Ant's Nest. 



BY DR. GEORGE P. BARTH, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 



Pursuant to numerous requests to place a description of an 

 artificial ant's nest which I have found very useful in studies 

 of the habits of ants, the relations of inquilines and parasites 

 to the hosts, etc., where it would be available to a larger num- 

 ber, the following is offered with the hope that it will prove 

 of service to those interested. 



The nest is made of two glass cylindrical jars of different 

 diameters. The larger has a flange or a U-shaped curvature 

 near the top. A Mason or candy-jar serves very well and is 

 cheap. The smaller cylinder is somewhat shorter, usually 

 about one to two inches, and is conveniently made by cutting 

 off a bottle at the desired height. The difference in diameter 

 of the jars may be as great or little as one desires, varying 

 according to the size of the ant to be introduced. The smaller 

 jar is placed within the larger and the space between the tw 7 o 

 rather firmly packed with moist earth or sand, the latter being 

 the better as it leaves the glass clear and clean during the ex- 

 cavating. The escape of the ants is prevented by a cap of wire 

 or cotton gauze loosely stretched over a rather heavy iron 

 ring of somewhat larger diameter than the top of the larger 

 jar. A stick or two, long enough to reach from the bottom to 

 the top of the inner well, will provide the ants with means of 

 access to and egress from the well. 



The food cup is made by sharpening the end of a piece of 

 tin three-quarters of an inch wide and moulding the other end 

 into a cup. The sharp end is bent at right angles and forced 

 into the soil between the jars. This brings the syrup and 

 other food far enough away to avoid the soiling of the nest 

 and thus to a certain degree preventing mildew. 



The nest is easily darkened by slipping a cylinder of dark 

 paper or cloth over the outer jar. 



The advantages of this nest seem to be that : 



First, it allows the ants to build vertically as well as horizon- 

 tally, certainly more natural to the insect, thus giving deep 

 and superficial chambers and galleries. 



