COLLECTING AND rilESKHVl NO INSKf'TS HANKS. 



117 



It is very instructive to keep ants in an artificial nest. A simple 

 one may be made by taking a piece of l.l-inch hoard, say 12 inches 

 square, and make near the edge a channel three- 

 fourths inch deep and 1 inch wide, and put in 

 the center two panes of glass 8 inches square, 

 and between them a thin layer of soil or com- 

 minuted wood. Cover the top glass with a 

 piece of tin. The channels around the edge of 

 the bottom board should be nearly filled with 

 water. Ants placed between the glass will ex- 

 cavate tunnels, and may be kept a long while. 

 A better nest (fig. 175) for studying the habits 

 of ants was prepared by Miss Fielde, and is as 

 follows : It is made of panes of glass glued 

 together by Le Page's liquid glue. A large 

 square pane is used for the bottom. The wall 

 and partitions are narrow strips of glass laid 

 flat. Two strips of "double thick" glass make 

 it the right height. An aperture at "a" is left, 

 but plugged up with cotton except when one 

 wishes to transfer the ants to another nest. On 

 the top of each wall and partition is a narrow 

 strip of coarse toweling. It is glued to the top 

 of the glass and then the free edge turned back, 

 walls are then less than one-half inch high 



Fig. 174.— A cage fcr bear- 

 ing BARK-INFESTING IN- 

 SECTS, FASTENED TO TREE. 



The partitions and 

 Two panes of glass are 



Fig. 175. — The Fielde ant nest: a, b, Glass base; c, c, partitions. 



used for the roof, so that one can be removed at a time. These roof 

 panes are just laid on and not fastened. Over each is a piece of black 

 blotting paper to darken the rooms. The outside walls are also 

 painted black. In one room is a thin, flat piece of wet sponge : this is 

 to furnish drink for the ants and moisture for the rooms. If the ants 

 have many cocoons, a piece of dry cloth should replace the sponge, 

 as ants keep their pupa? in dry situations, while the larva 1 need mois- 

 ture. The whole nest can be placed on a sheet of white blotting 



