226 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



menagerie," where I have been closely observing 

 it ever since. I now not only think it a distinct 

 species, but perhaps belonging to a different 

 genus from the one Mr. Morris first called my 

 attention to. 



The colony in my "insect menagerie" are now 

 harvesting the seeds of the wild pepper-grass 

 (Lepiiiiuin virginicuni). They start in line from 

 the formicary, and keep so until they reach a little 

 patch of ground covered with plants of the pepper- 

 grass, the seeds of which are now ripe and 

 fallen to the ground. On reaching this spot, the 

 line diverges, and the little workers scatter over 

 a space of several feet, but they all come to a cer- 

 tain point and return in a straight line toward 

 home, each carrying a bright orange-colored seed, 

 which it stores away, and starts for another. 



This species has a regular dumping ground, 

 where it throws all the refuse material — every ant 

 going to the same spot to throw the chaff and 

 shells of seeds. 



I have never seen any of the soldiers of this 

 species carrying seeds, but they perform other 

 ofhces ; they remove large pebbles, impossible 

 for the little workers to move. And when the 

 winged ants depart from the colony, the soldiers 

 escort them to the entrance, frequently assisting 

 them out. 



Last evening, July 15th, many winged ants 

 (S ; ) left the colony, and this morning the en- 

 trance through which they came was closed with 

 a little hillock of pebbles. 



Like the harvesting ant of Florida, Pogonomyr- 

 mcx criiddlis, most of the soldiers have no teeth 

 on the mandibles, while the little workers are 

 armed with teeth. 



I am now observing the various species of 

 Apkitnogastir. The largest species which occurs 

 here is ApIuEiiogasler Ireati. This species occa- 

 sionally carries seeds and flowers, but I think it 

 can hardly be called a true harvester. 



Since the above was written, Mr. Morris has 

 called, and s.iys he found the largest species yf^-j/, 

 but confounded the two for some time as I did. 

 So he has the right of priority with both of these 

 ants. 



As I had both species of these ants put up to 

 send you before Mr. Morris called (and told me 

 he had already sent them), I will send them all 

 the same. — Mary Treat, Vineland, N. J., July 16. 



Butterflies in Iowa. — Last season I secured 

 one specimen each of Callidiyas sonuc and Tcrias 

 mexicana , both of which I believe very rare in 

 this locality. Picris rapiv was taken here for the 

 first time, and will no doubt be abundant the 

 present season. A hundred miles east of here 

 (Linn Co.) it did much damage last summer. 

 Has been in the eastern part of the State still 

 longer. — Herbert Osborn, Ames, Iowa. 



Flights of Danais archippus Fabr.—\ have 

 noticed large flights of this butterfly twice within 

 the past seven years. Both occurred in the Fall, 

 September or October ; in both instances there 

 was a disposition manifested to cluster together 

 on neighboring leaves and twigs of oak-trees ; 

 the females outnumber the males quite noticeably; 

 when disturbed they were disposed to return to 

 the same or nearly the same place ; although 

 they did not cling to one another like bees swarm- 

 ing, they were so neighborly that it was easy to 

 take a dozen with a single sweep of the net. — O. 

 S. Westcott, Racine. Wis. 



Phylloxera Galls — Inconstancy in their ap- 

 pearance. — Let me mention to you one remarka- 

 ble observation. The Phylloxera is changing 

 with regard to the varieties and even species of 

 grapes on which it prefers to produce its galls ! 

 Last year they were mostly on Nortons and Cyn- 

 thianas, which they were supposed not to inhabit 

 theretofore, and on which we only found traces 

 of abortive galls or attempts to make galls in 

 former years. This year they are yet rather. scarce 

 with us, but certainly none to be found on Clin- 

 ton, none on Taylor and its seedlings (Nash, 

 Elvira, etc.), while some of Amolil's Nyl'rids (of 

 the supposed Northern [or Canada] Cordifolia) 

 and the Dclnwnrc show them more than ever 

 before I — Isidor Rush, Bushberg, Mo., June 10, 

 1880. 



Periodical Cicada in Geauga Co., Ohio. — 

 Stpti'inJi-chn has been quite abundant in small 

 areas of Western Ohio, but they are now nearly all 

 gone. — Harluy Barnes, Mulberry Corners, O., 

 Aug. 3, 1S80. 



Squirrels eating Gall-fly (Cynipid) Larvae. — 



In reading Mr. Henry's experience as to squirrel 

 feeding on Poplar-stem Gall-lice, I am reminded 

 that I saw, during the summer, this same 

 squirrel eating Cynips larvns from an oak g.all. 

 The little fellows would seize a gall, tear it open 

 and eat the rather large larva, and drop the gall. 

 I saw them do this several times, and it interested 

 me because I had supposed squirrels were con- 

 fined entirely to a Tegetable diet. The galls oc- 

 cur on Qiieiriis tinctoria, and are Cynips q. spongi- 

 fna O. S. You ma}' be interested in this confir- 

 mation. — Irwin F. Smith, Agr. College, Lansing, 

 Mich. 



Flies riding on a Tumble-dung. — This morn- 

 ing, I noticed a lone beetle trundling the ordin- 

 ary ball of manure. He seemed to be mottled 

 with dingy white spots ; but when he (or she) got 

 a fall, the white spots vanished. When the}' 

 began to reappear, I stooped and saw that they 

 consisted of the gauzy wings of some black-bodied 

 insects, which were taking a ride. Time pressed. 

 The insects were very active. — J. T. Muulton, Jr., 

 Farmington, Mo., May 26. 



