324 .TOIRXAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol.2 



tiniial warfare with surrounding' forms, but by virtue of his surpassing 

 intelligence — itself as gradually evolved as have been the physical 

 characteristics of any given species — he has overrun the earth, has ac- 

 commodated himself to the most unnatural environments ; he has 

 dominated all other species in nature ; he has turned to his own uses 

 and encouraged or hastened the evolution of species useful to him or 

 of useful equalities in such species ; he has wiped out of existence cer- 

 tain inimical forms, and is gaining the control of others. He is the 

 dominant type, and types whose existence and methods of life are op- 

 posed to his interests are being pushed to the wall. It is the culmina- 

 tion of a history which has many times repeated itself in past ages. 

 The struggle of other forms of life to accommodate themselves to the 

 conditions brought about by the rapid development of the dominant 

 type is one of the most interesting fields of study open to the biologist 

 today. It would seem as if, in man's efforts to make the face of the 

 earth his o^^ti, all the complicated elements of life were arrayed against 

 him, and the great and ultimate result of the labor of the biologist in 

 his stud.v of the relations of the different forms of life and the laws 

 which govern their development will be to bring about the absolute 

 control of all other life by man. Thus it is not only the economic 

 worker who looks for immediate results of a practical kind from his 

 labor — the scientific agriculturist, the horticulturist, the economic zo- 

 ologist, the medical bacteriologist — who should command the respect 

 of even the practical minded man. but the biologist in whatever field, 

 however restricted it may be, whether he is working towards the un- 

 derstanding of broad principles and general laws or whether in some 

 narrow corner of research he is accumulating material which will help 

 nltimately to lead to wider nnderstandings — all are working help- 

 fully and practically towards the perfect well being of the human 

 race. ' ' 



MEASURES SUGGESTED AGAINST THE ARGENTINE 

 ANT AS A HOUSEHOLD PEST 



By WiLMOX Newell, Baton Roin/e. La. 



The preliminary investigation of an injurious insect usually sug- 

 gests measures by which temporary relief from its ravages may be 

 secured, even though many years of tedious work and study may be 

 reciuired for the development of really satisfactory and economical 

 methods of control. To this rule the Argentine ant. Iridomijrmex 

 humilis INIayr., has proven no exception. Our study of this species 



