isiid.j 47 



harvest from the traps you have so carefully prepared on the previous 

 occasion, you find all the grass and other materials pulled out, and in 

 their places burnt paper, matches, or stones. 



However, all being as it should, the grass and other articles must 

 be carefully drawn out and shaken over a newspaper, all chinks and 

 crevices in the tree examined, and all loose bark ripped off; under a 

 large piece of loose bark on a tree infested by this ant, I once took 

 thirteen specimens of the pretty little AmpJiotis marginata, which is 

 almost always found in such situations. 



The " runs " of the ants should be followed and diligently searched, 

 and all stones, refuse, dead leaves, and other rubbish turned over and 

 sifted over paper ; the roots of grass should be examined, and any 

 moss growing near pulled up and shaken over paper. I have found 

 it a good plan if one of the " runs " leads through a lot of dead leaves, 

 as is often the case, to shake them in a small sieve over a newspaper. 



Turning back the grass at the roots of the tree, and digging up 

 the earth along the same will generally repay any trouble and time 

 expended. It is said to be a good plan to sift the moist sawdust and 

 frass ejected from the tree by the ants, but in all trees in which T have 

 found this ant I have never seen any such sawdust. 



The following are the beetles found with Formica fulig inosa : — Ilyohates gla- 

 brivenfris, Rye (Boniiairei, Fauv.) ; Myrmedonia funesta, Grr., humeralis, Gtr., 

 Jugens, Gr., laticollis, Mark., and Haworthi, Steph. ; Homosusa acuminata, Mark. ; 

 Microglossa palla, GrylL, and gentilis, Mark. ; Oxypoda vittata, Mark. ; TMasophila 

 iiiquiUna,MAvk.; Notothecta cow/wsa, Mark. ; Ilomaiota nitidula,TLr., ohlongiuscula, 

 Sharp, and exarata, Sharp ; Euryusa laticollis, Heer ; Oligota pusillima, Grav., 

 and atomaria, Er. ; Quedius brevis, Er. ; Othius myrmecophilus, Kies. ; Xaniholinus 

 glaber, Nordm. ; Heterothops quadripunctula, Gr. ; Leptinus testaceus, Miill. ; 

 Ptenidium formicetorum, Kr., and Gresxneri, Er. ; Dendrophilus punctatus, Herbst ; 

 Abreeus globosus, Hoff. ; Amphotis marginata, F. ; Ccenoscelis pallida, Woll. ; 

 Batrisus venustux, Reiche ; Scydmcsnus pusillus, Miill. 



All the species of Myrmedonia have a habit of rolling themselves up, when 

 alarmed, and remaining quite motionless for a considerable time ; a sharp look out 

 must be kept, as they are easily passed over on this account. The hind body of these 

 insects when mounted has an unpleasant knack of curling up in drying, this can be 

 prevented by allowing the insects to soak in water for a short time before they are 

 placed on the card. Care should be taken not to bruise or crush them, as the 

 moisture which exudes from their bodies stains the cai-d violet. 



Myrmedonia humeralis and Quedius brevis I have taken sparingly with this ant, 

 both species being generally found with Formica rufa. 



Amphotis marginata, as before said, is generally taken under loose bark,* but I 

 once took it by sifting dead leaves in one of the " runs." 



* It may sometimes b<B induced to emerge from the chinks of the bark by the application of 

 a little tobacco-smoVe. — G. C. C. 



