59 
the helpless insects have been seized by the ants, often almost instantly, 
and conveyed under ground, where we would later find them feeding and 
breeding on the roots of the corn. In many cases in the field, we have 
found the young root aphis on sprouting weeds (especially pigeon- 
grass), which have been sought out by the ants before the leaves had 
shown above the ground; and, similarly, when the field is planted to 
corn, these ardent explorers will frequently discover the sprouting ker- 
nel in the earth, and mine along the starting stem and place the plant 
lice upon it. 
We have also abundant evidence that ants excavate hills of corn in 
very early spring, when they have as yet neither eggs nor plant lice in 
their possession, and some days before the possible appearance of the 
second or Winged generation. "I can only account for this practice on 
the supposition that these ants expect later to obtain eggs or young 
with which to stock their burrows, made ready in advance. Certainly 
this is true with respect to the second generation of the root aphis. 
When winged lice of this brood begin to appear, it is a common thing 
to find the small brown ant scattering far and wide over fields not pre- 
viously in corn, and containing consequently no plant lice in any stage, 
burrowing ‘tend the hills of corn, and carrying underground such corn 
root lice as come within their range. For example, a corn field on sod 
near Polo, Ill., was searched May 18 of a backward spring, after a period 
of frequent cold rains which had greatly retarded the work of the ants 
and the development of the corn root aphis. A few of the hills already 
burrowed by the ants were found with the grass louse only (Schizonewra 
panicola), and one with a single mealy bug (Dactylopius), while twenty 
contained no insect whatever except the little brown ant, which was in 
full possession. May 28 two long rows of a field likewise on sod were 
searched carefully. Many hills were burrowed by ants, but only two con- 
tained the corn root louse, and in these were winged ‘adults—one speci- 
men in one hill and two in the other, the latter with a single young one 
but just born. Our records are full of notes of observations made dur- 
ing the latter part of May in several years according to which ants were 
just beginning to mine corn hills on sod, no lice of any kind yet oceur- 
ring in their burrows. Occasionally, in fact, an ant has been seen to seize 
a winged louse in the field, commonly by the wings themselves, and to 
carry it down out of sight. In one instance such a winged adult was 
found in a corn hill with its wings gnawed away near the body, as if 
to prevent its escape from the earth; an operation to which ants are 
well known to subject their winged captives of the migrant generation. 
Confirmation of this practice is furnished by an observation made Sep- 
tember 22, 1884. A winged corn root aphis placed near an ant in the 
field was seized by the latter and carried about four feet to. a newly 
opened formicary, and was then laid down while the ant went inside. 
An ant coming out of the nest afterwards carried the aphis into the 
earth. 
I need hardly say that the relations above described between the 
corn root aphis and these ants continue without cessation throughout 
the year, the succeeding generations being quite as useful to the ants 
