81 



grows. This was especially noticeable on persimmons and oranges. 

 At the stem end, or wherever two specimens of fruit touched, the pro- 

 jecting covering had been extended for a considerable distance. 



On twigs of arbor-vitoe the ants were able to build a covering for 

 the plant-lice by extending it outward onto the rough, flat leaves of 

 the plant, and in one instance they had built on both the uj^per and 

 lower sides of the leaves. 



The entrance to these shelters over colonies on fruit was always 

 near the stems, but ants coidd usually be seen at some place on the 

 outer edge repairing or extending the covering or removing young 

 scales to new territory. 



The mealy-bugs infesting citrus trees and other fruits and on the 

 palms appear to be the same species as the one commonly found in 

 the greenhouses in the city — Pseudococcus citri Risso. 



Tlie mealj^-bug affecting the sugar-cane on the sugar experiment 

 station grounds is, so far as I can ascertain, the same species. Care- 

 ful comparison has been made with mounted specimens of Pseudo- 

 coccus caleolarkv Mask, on sugar-cane from Florida, P. adonkhirii 

 Targ. and P. citri Risso. 



This sugar-cane mealy-bug has increased very rapidly in the last 

 two years, and this year a large percentage of the cane Avas affected. 

 The woolly secretions were present in the greatest numbers in the leaf- 

 sheaths, but occurred on the stalks from the base up to from 3 to 6 

 feet above the ground, and often far out on the leaves, where two or 

 more leaves were touching or rested against a cane stalk. Very few 

 were found in the ground among the roots, but the older specimens 

 could often be seen traveling over the rough dirt from stalk to stalk. 

 The ants were everj^where present among them and were several times 

 seen establishing new colonies on cane. 



Ants were found, also, with mealy-bugs on seA'eral weeds in the cane 

 fields, on grasses, and rarely on ramie. 



I found the ants in boxes of crackers and candies sent directly from 

 New Orleans, and while in that city noticed them being packed up 

 with several kinds of groceries for shij^ment to outlying towns. 



A LouisA'ille and Xashville construction-department cooking car 

 Avas visited in New Orleans. This car w^as in daily use and had been 

 for several days located at the point where I saw it. The cook told 

 me the ants Avorried him nearly to deatli. " Why, they are so thick 

 that I don't get rid of them till I've been out on the road tAvo or three 

 days." 



Their present distribution is probabh' limited by the distance that 



Avholesale goods are shipped locally from Ncav Orleans. While as 



yet the}'^ do not extend all over the city, it is a matter of ouIa^ a feAv 



years, at the outside, Avhen the entire residence district Avill be infested. 



25524— No. 52—05 m 



