154 NA2URE-STUDY REVIEW r6:6-Sept., mo 



and their ways which added so much to his fame. The mate- 

 rials needed are: 



A piece of plank, about twenty inches long, sixteen inches wide 



and at least one-fourth inches thick. 

 Two pieces of window glass, ten inches square. 

 A sheet of tin, eleven inches square. 

 A piece of thin, flat board or a sheet of tin, ten iliches square. 



To make the nest: 



Cut out a groove from the upper side of the plank, about 

 an inch deep and of the same width, near its outer edge all 

 around. This furrow is to be kept filled with water to make the 

 nest a prison from which there is no escape, for clever as ants 

 are, they have never yet mastered the art of swimming. The 

 plank should be painted well to keep from checking or warp- 

 ing and it must be free from knot-holes. The eleven-inch sheet 

 of tin is made into a tray by turning up its edges three-eighths of 

 an inch. Place this tray in the middle of the plank, and lay 

 within it one of the panes of glass. Around the edges of the 

 glass, lay four strips of wood about a half-inch wide and a little 

 thicker than the height of the ants that are to live in the nest; 

 or burned matches may be used instead of the strips of wood. 

 Walls an eighth of an inch high, or less, are about right for 

 most species for they do not like lofty ceilings. For the roof, 

 lay the remaining pane of glass on the strips of wood, first cut- 

 ting off a small triangular piece from one corner. To darken 

 the nest, it should be covered with the bit of thin board having 

 a screw-eye in the center to lift it by, or a piece of tin with a 

 handle soldered in the center. A piece of thick blotter or very 

 thin sponge should be placed in the nest near the corner which 

 has been cut ofif, where it can be kept moist with a pipette with- 

 out removing the upper glass. The ants will soon die if this is 

 not moistened daily. 



Now the moated grange is ready for its occupants. To 

 obtain these we must go hunting in the nearby pasture or 

 meadow, armed with a garden trowel and a two-quart glass 

 fruit can. We turn over all the flat stones we see, and under 

 some of them we are sure to find a small colony of ants with 

 plenty of eggs and larvae. We carefully scoop them up, ants, 

 eggs, larvae, pupae, dirt and all, trying not to injure the speci- 

 mens. While digging we keep a sharp lookout for the queen, 

 which may be recognized by her larger size. But even though 

 her royal highness is missed, if plenty of eggs, larvae, and 

 pupae are secured, the ants will be very contented in their new 



