282 



PSYCHE. 



[September 1S95. 



specimens of Uropoda ricasoliana 

 Berlese. They were all fastened to the 

 tibiae and in every case but one at- 

 tached to the middle leg. I also found 

 5 mites of another genus Laelaps equi- 

 /aw^ Michael. I did not observe where 

 they were attached as they became 

 loosened by my handling of the ants. 

 TheUropodas did not loose their grip. 

 We also found one coleopteron Serica 

 sericea Burm. liibernating with the 

 ants ; it is frequently found with ants 

 in the spring under stones. 



We did not disturb this nest again 

 until March 17 of 1S95 when we 

 found snow and ice on the top of the 

 nest averaging in depth nearl)- 5 

 inches. The atmospheric temperature 

 was 33° F. We cut through the frozen 

 earth which was a little over a foot in 

 thickness and in doing so observed a 

 number of ants. We continued digging 

 to the depth of two feet and found 

 plenty of ants in the same condition as 

 we did on November 25, 1S94. The 

 temperature of the nest below the frozen 

 parts was 33° F.* We again collected 

 42 of the ants for the purpose of exam- 

 ining them for mites and found 4 of tlie 

 Uropoda sp. attached to the legs of the 

 ants as before, but did not find at this 

 time any of the other mites. 



On March 23 we went to nest no. 2. 

 Snow and ice was still on the ground, 

 but had nearly all thawed off from the 

 nest. The northern portion of the nest 

 was still frozen, but the other parts 

 more exposed to the rays of the sun had 



*We covered the nest up very carefully after our first 

 visit with the same material of which the nest was com 

 posed. 



thawed out and were quite wet. Upon 

 removing the soil from the top of the 

 nest we found ants plentiful at 3 inches 

 from the top of the nest. The temper- 

 ature of tlie nest at the depth of 8 inches 

 was 39° F. All of the ants were in a 

 sluggish condition, and could move 

 slowly about when disturbed. The 

 temperature of the air was 49° F. and 

 the sun was shining. I placed some 

 of the ants in the sun and in about fif- 

 teen minutes they began to appear 

 active. We collected 141 of them for 

 the examination of mites and found S 

 of the Uropoda sp. We also found 

 another species of ant Cremastogaster 

 liiieolata in large numbers and but very 

 few of them alive ; this species of ant 

 usually occurs under stones and old 

 cord-wood, sticks, logs, etc. Why these 

 ants went into this mound with the 

 other ants I am not able to say. We 

 found a number of the common earth 

 worms, LumbricN'^ sp., two species of 

 yiilus canadensis Newp., two speci- 

 mens of a Porcellio, a male and female 

 of Platynus ciipripennis Say, and a 

 large species of staphylinid. 



April 6 we made a visit to nest no. 3. 

 Here we found a number of the ants at 

 work ; several of the doors were open 

 and the ants moved about quietly, not 

 as they usually do when the weather is 

 warmer and the season more advanced. 

 The thermometer stood at 58° F. and at 

 the depth of two feet down into the nest 

 at40°F. The day was clear. We found 

 a number of the Uropoda walking 

 around among the ants and some at- 

 tached to the ants' legs as before men- 

 tioned. We found one staphylinid. 



