238 Forty-ninth Report on the State Museum 



While in the Indian Ladder region, Albany Co., N. Y., in August, 187 1, 

 I found a large colony of ant-lions. It is situated near the head of the 

 " Ladder Road," at the base of the clifts, and extends for several rods 

 along the path to the " Tory House." The cliffs here hang over the paths, 

 so that it is almost impossible for rain to reach the spot. The soil is com- 

 posed of disintegrated limestone, extremely fine, but mingled with minute 

 fragments of stone as well as larger pebbles. 



In August, 1 87 1, the colony numbered rather more than six hundred 

 individuals, but on July 6, 1872, there were scarcely half that number. 

 Perhaps at this last date some were in the chrysalis, as of several speci- 

 mens then obtained, most of them entered that state in a short time, while 

 those taken in August remained until the following spring. 

 1^ Food was very scarce in this colony, as it was rare to see more than 

 four or five victims in the lions' dens at one time. On several occasions 

 I noticed a strong and active insect, having ventured over the edge of 

 the pit, run swiftly down and up the other side, leaving the ant-lion 

 wildly snapping its jaws, as the intended victim mounted the steep side 

 of the pitfall. 



The ant-lion does not, so far as my observation goes, throw up sand to 

 bring down its prey, but throws it up in every direction in order to keep 

 its jaws free to seize the insect when it reaches the bottom of the den. 



In 187 1 there was another colony (which I did not visit in 1872) near 

 the " Paint Mine." It consisted of some 300 members. I call it a col- 

 ony, although, of course, there was no friendly intercourse between the 

 inhabitants of the settlement. On the other hand, in the most crowded 

 portions, the chief employment of the insects was to throw out the dirt 

 which their active neighbors were depositing on their own premises. 



Mr. Nathan Banks has kindly furnished me with the following notes: 



Myrmeleon immaculatus (DeGeer) pitfalls at Washington, D. C, two 

 inches in diameter, in June and September. Imagoes emerged the fol- 

 lowing August. Myrmeleon rusticus Hagen, imago taken in Texas, in 

 September. Myrmeleon pi/mihis Burm. and M. ingeniosus Hagen, imagoes, 

 Florida, during the winter, probably in February. Brachnemurus abdom- 

 inalis (Say), imago, Texas, in September, captured at light. £. nigri- 

 labris Hagen, imago, Nebraska, in September. Dendroleon obsoletmn 

 (Say), imago, Ithaca, N. Y., August 3rd. 



From Cornell University, through the kindness of Professor Comstock, 

 we have the following : 



Dendroleon obsoletum imagoes were captured at Ithaca on July loth, 

 July 27th, and August 4th. This species appears to be more abundant 

 than Myrmeleon immaculatus. Its larvae are quite common in a ravine 

 about three miles from the University grounds. M. immaculatus imago 

 has been taken on August 19th. 



A pitfall of an ant-lion found in the dirt of the basement of the Ento- 

 mological laboratory, and now in a box of sand, measures at the present 

 time (October 12th) one and one-fourth inches in diameter and five- 

 eighths of an inch in depth. 



