135 



year to the formation of leafmold at the rate of more than 2 tons 

 per acre." 



The burrows of earthworms aid in the ventilation of the soil and in 

 carrying down into it vegetable debris, as Darwin long ago observed. 

 In the blackened decayed leaves at Urbana, 111., on November 18, I 

 found enchytr?eid worms abundant, and in the adjacent soil, below a 

 decayed log, a Diplocardia (No. 547, C. C. A.). 



In the Brownfield woods at Urbana, among the dead leaves and in 

 logs during the cool season hibernating females of the white-faced hor- 

 net, Vespa maculata Linn. (PI. XXI, fig. 3) are often found. Females 

 were taken from among leaves or in decayed wood October 8, and 12 

 (in rotten wood), October 15 (No. 491, C. C. A.), and November 9. 

 The Bloomington records of hibernating females are April 23 and 

 October 18. In such situations two ichneumons have been taken in the 

 Brownfield woods: Hoplismenus morulus Say on November 14, and 

 Ichneumon cincticornis Cress., November 9; also the two ground- 

 beetles Anisodactylus interstitialis Say and Lebia grandis Hentz (PI. 

 XXI, fig. 4) on October 18; and Ceuthophilus sp., Lebia grandis, Ga- 

 lerita janus, the larva of Meracantha contractu, and the large black 

 predaceous bug Melanolestes picipes H. S. (PI. XXII, figs. 1 and 2) 

 October 12, under bark and under logs. Melanolestes was also found 

 in the Cottonwood forest November 14, with the "slender-necked bug," 

 Myodocha serripes Oliv. (PI. XXII, fig. 3), These examples show 

 how during the hibernating season many animals are to be expected 

 here which at other seasons live in other habitats. Vespa is arboreal, 

 as shown by the large nests seen in these woods. 



Baker ('11, p. 149) has listed many mollusks found under fallen 

 logs and under bark in the forest of southern Michigan. As various 

 scavengers thrive in this zone, eating not only the vegetable debris, but 

 also the animals which die in it or fall upon it, the digestive peculiari- 

 ties of these animals are in part a response to the conditions of this 

 habitat. The animal carcasses which fall to the ground are compar- 

 able to the similar slowly falling remains which tend to accumulate 

 upon the bottom of bodies of standing water. The student of this 

 community will find of interest Dendy's ('95) paper on animals in 

 the soil, under stones and bark. 



2. The Forest Fungus Community 



Many fungi grow up through the humus layer and are food for a 

 great number of animals. Still other fungi grow only on and in wood. I 

 will not now attempt to emphasize this difference. The fleshy fungi are 

 very short-lived at the surface, and soon decay or are devoured by 

 various animals. A large number, if not most, of our land Mollusca 



