290 HENRY C. MCCOOK. 



cursions up or down the plant, the ant always returning and renewing 

 the solicitation. The ant always occupied a position below the grub, 

 and directed her strokes toward the head, which, however, generally 

 fell upon the lower part of the body. The larva did not remain 

 stationary, but several times moved its position, slowly creeping around 

 the stem. I ceased observation at noon, and I'eturned to the grove at 

 4 P. M. The grub was in about the same position, and was attended 

 by the same (or another) ant who was accompanied by a companion. 

 The same behaviour observed in the morning was continued until 5 

 P. M., when I captured ants and grub and took them home. A number 

 of the same larvae in different stages of growth were found on the same 

 plant in various parts of the grove. I was only able to observe that 

 the ant continued to attend the grub under confinement just as in 

 the woods. But preparations for a journey to Texas, compelled me to 

 suspend observations. Although satisfied that the object of the ants 

 was to secure some kind of refreshment from the larvae, I was not able 

 to note any secretion on the grub, or anything like the actual taking 

 of food by the ant, although the mouth organs were applied to the 

 last segments. 



A casual mention of my discovery was the means of opening com- 

 munication with W. II. Edwards, well known for his valuable works 

 upon the Lepidoptera, who later in the summer (as I infer), had ob- 

 served the same fact. In comparing notes it was found that the larva 

 observed by him in West Virginia, was also of the Lycaenidae (/>ycae»tt 

 Pseutlargiolus), and that it was domiciled upon the same plant, {Ciinir/i- 

 fiirja racemosa). Two species of ants were seen attending the larvae. 

 Mr. Edwards has kindly communicated to me the details of his own 

 observations; but as he purposes to give them to the public at an early 

 date, I will not anticipate any further than to say that under the micro- 

 scope the larvae prove to be possessed of organs upon the upper part 

 of the last segments, apparently designed or fitted for the exudation 

 of some fluid. Mr. Edwards also directed my attention to a paper by 

 M. Guenee, in the " Annales de la Soci^t^ Entomologique de France," 

 Ser. iv, tcme 7, 1867, pp. 065 — 668, which I have consulted. The 

 paper is brief but exceedingly interesting, and gives a full description, 

 illustrated by figures, of organs found upon the eleventh segment of 

 the larva of the butterfly {Li/cebua baetica), whose protrusion from two 

 openings near the ninth and last pair of stigmata, was observed, and 

 the action and organ figured and described. At the summit of the 

 tenth segment the author found another single opening, placed trans- 



