Result. — The ants seemed greatly disturbed, but after a time re- 

 turned to their work and were apparently unaffected. 

 The grass around was not killed. 



EXPERIMENT V. BISULPHIDE OF CARBON. 



About twenty-five drops poured on top of the hill. 

 liesult. — Same as in experiment IV. 



EXPERIMENT VI. BISULPHIDE OF CARBON. 



An ant hill nearly six feet square, next to the underpinning of a 

 house, was doing much damage. The ground was so thoroughly 

 mined that a person walking over it would sink in quite deepl}', 

 the grass on the hill was nearly dead. With a small stick, holes 

 about six inches deep, were made about fifteen inches apart, over the 

 hill, and two or three teaspoonfulsof the Bisulphide poured into each 

 hole, after which all the holes were closed up and the earth pressed 

 down by stepping on them. 



Result. — No ants have since appeared there, no fresh earth has 

 been brought to the surface, and the whole place has formed a good 

 turf. 



It is probable that the method of treatment in this case is the ex- 

 planation of its success and of the non-success of experiments IV. 

 and V. Further trials are needed, however, to obtain any final 

 results, and for that reason this should be considered as a partial 

 report, only. 



ALUM NOT DESTRUCTIVE TO CURRANT WORMS. 



The statement was quite widely circulated in the agricultural papers 

 during the early part of the summer, that alum in solution in water 

 would destroy the currant worm (Nematus ribesii Sco^.) 



To settle the question beyond the shadow of a doubt, a plant 

 with currant worms upon it was placed in a breeding cage and 

 showered with a weak solution of alum from an atomizer such as is 

 used by physicians. The worms showed a little disquiet when the 

 spra}^ was falling on them, and threw the posterior end of their 

 bodies back and forth a few times, and then went on feeding as 

 though nothing had happened. In a few days they were treated 

 again with a stronger solution but with like results. Finally a sat- 

 urated solution of alum was made and showered over them and the 

 leaves of the currant, but they in no case fell from the leaves, and 



