372 



PSYCHE. 



[April 1896. 



V. Lasius aphidicola var. (?) strong colonv of this ant was investi- 

 Mr. Pergande expresses a doubt as to gated on August 4. The nest was 

 the specific identification of this ant. made on the lower surface of a piostnite 

 The nest was found in an old log, April log, between the bark and the wood. 

 13, and one specimen of Batrisus The guests were numerous Limulodes 



foveicortiis Casey occurred as a guest. paradoxus and four Thiasopliila lati- 



VI. Aphaenogaster fulva Rog. A coll is Casev. 



INSECT-VISION. 



It has always been assumed that flowers 

 attracted insects, in large measure at least, 

 hy the splendor of their inflorescence. Some 

 recent experiments by Plateau, recorded in 

 the Bulletin of the Belgian Academy, throw- 

 doubt upon this assumption. In a consider- 

 able bed of showy dahlias, Plateau concealed 

 from sight the highly colored rays of some 

 of the flowers exposing only the disk, and in 

 a second series of experiments the disk also 

 but independently, either by means of colored 

 papers or by green leaves secured in place 

 by pins. Butterflies and bees sought these 

 flowers with the same avidity and apparently 

 the same frequency as the fully exposed 

 flowers in the same patch, the bees particu- 

 larly pushing their way beneath the obstacles 

 to reach them, though not always with suc- 



cess. Plateau concludes that they are guided 

 far more by their perception of odors than by 

 their vision of bright and contrasted colors. 

 In a second communication to the same 

 Academy, Plateau gives the details of an- 

 other set of experiments to determine whether 

 a wide-meshed net presents any obstacle to 

 the passage of a flying insect which, as far 

 as room was concerned, could easily pass in 

 flight through the interstices. He finds that 

 while such nets do not absolutely prevent 

 passage on the wing, insects almost invaria- 

 bly act before one they wish to pass as if 

 they could not distinguish the aperture, 

 ending by alighting on the mesh and 

 crawling through. He reasons that through 

 the lack of distinct and sharp vision the 

 tlireads of the net produce the illusion of a 

 continuous surface, as for us the hatchures 

 of an engraving, seen at a distance. 



A. SMITH & SONS, 269 PEARL STREET, New York. 



HAM FAlXrUKRS A.\'l> IJIPOKTEBS OF 



GOODS FOR ENTOMOLOGISTS, 



Rlaeger and Carlsbad Insect Pins, Setting 



Boards, Folding Nets, Locality and 

 Special Labels, Forceps, Sheet Cork, Etc. 

 Other articles are being added. Send for List. 



TAXIDERMIST and DEALER in ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES. 



Fine Carlsbader Insect Pins a spe- 

 cialty. Price List sent on application. 

 78 Ashland Place, 



IMPROVED ENTOMOLOGICAL FORCEPS. BROOKLYN, N. Y. 



