April, '09] 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



177 



size of the cage may vary from Sy^ x 414 up to 8 x 10 inches or even 

 larger. Leather was found more satisfactory for making the edges 

 of the cage than either glass or wood. The strip of leather betweeen 

 the glass margins is about i^-iueh in width. It is extremely difficult 

 to find a strip of glass uniformly 1.75 mm. thick and it is also diffi- 

 cult to firmly attach one piece of glass to another. Wooden strips 

 present the disadvantage of quickly decaying and of Avarping, no 

 matter what glue or cement is used to hold them in position. Since 



Fig. 2. — Artificial formicary with parts asserobled ready for use. 



it is sometimes desirable to place moist earth in the cages, or to add 

 moisture from time to time, a waterproof cement is most desirable 

 for attaching the glass plates to the leather strip. For this purpose 

 the cement known as coaguline has been found satisfactory. The 

 space between the glass plates is filled with finely pulverized earth, 

 after completion and drying of the cage, and in this the ants are 

 permitted to burrow and construct galleries as they please. 



The cage proper is supported on a platform (1) which in turn rests 

 firmly upon a standard (2) having a base (-4). The platform must 

 have its upper surface perfectly level and it must remain so for an 



