DYING OF YOUNG PINES IN CIRCLES ABOUT ANTHILLS 769 



Scolytid work. Four (i inch by 4 feet to 2 inches by 10 feet) had red 

 leaves and showed the disease and Scolytid work. Of the adjacent 

 living trees, one (one-half inch by 2 feet) showed the disease : spHt 

 bark with attempted healing, considerable resin being present at the 

 wound. Ants were rather abundant on the ground about this tree. Of 

 the others (i inch by 4 feet to 3 inches by 10 feet) twelve showed the 

 disease and six did not. Ant-aphid infestation occurred on two of the 

 diseased trees. There was gnawing on six of the diseased trees, two 

 of these being the ones with ant-aphid infestation. On another tree 

 there were no ants nor aphids and the disease was doubtful, but the 

 bark was checked into plates (fig. 5) and gnawed areas occurred. Size, 

 2 inches by 10 feet. Old disease scars have been included in the above, 

 as larger trees show a tendency to recover; but if a specific fungus is 

 concerned such trees could serve as centers of infection.^^ 



The red-and-black ants (F. exsectoides) were observed gnawing the 

 bark of a diseased tree.^° Filley also reports having seen ants feeding 

 at the base of a dead tree in one of the blanks. The red-and-black ants 

 were far more ready to fight in or near a hill than on trees (among the 

 aphids) or in the collector's net. They were quite commonly associated 

 with an aphis on pines of various sizes. 



.The following tabulations show in detail the condition of the trees 

 about the ten hills studied. 



' The ants were exceptionally vicious about this hi 

 ' Cp. fig. 2. 



