1 02 PROTECTIOX AGAINST INSECTS. 



at the foot of their fruit trees to secure them against insect 

 attacks. 



It is therefore necessary to protect ants in every possible 

 way, though unfortunately their increase is greatly prejudiced 

 by the search for the so-called ants' ecjgs for the purpose of 

 feeding young pheasants, etc. This also deprives useful forest 

 birds of a portion of their nutriment. Henschel* states that 

 in the Austrian Alps the sale of dried ants' eggs of Formica 

 riifa, L., amounts annually to 50 — 70 hectolitres, -which means 

 from 96 to 13J:'5' milHon ants, for 1 hectolitre contains about 

 1,920,000 pupae. 



In Eussia also the business is carried on vigorously, the 

 right of collecting pupae being leased on certain areas, one 

 man having collected £]?8 worth in 1^ months. 



The damage which ants occasion by constructing their 

 galleries and nests in sickly trees, or by eating sweet fruits, or 

 by burrowing into planting-mounds is trifling in comparison to 

 the good they effect. 



As representatives of the family the following may be 

 mentioned : — 



Formica rufa, L., the common wood-ant, makes great 

 heaps of needles in coniferous forests, chiefly in those of 

 Scots pine. 



Lasius fidiyinosns, Latr., in old trees and stumps of oaks, 

 poplars, willows, etc. 



Myrmica rubra, L., very common in forests under stones, 

 sods, bark, etc. 



There are species of ants which by hollowing out nests in 

 standing trees, or by gnawing plants, or disturbing mound- 

 planting, are injurious. These are Camjxinotus herculancus, 

 L. ; C. lignipcrdns, L. Both species hollow out large stand- 

 ing and felled stems of conifers, chiefly of spruce and silver- 

 fir, to a height of 30 feet from the base of the trees, in a 

 manner that is concentric with the annual rings, so as to 

 render the timber unserviceable. Woodpeckers frequently 

 increase the extent of the damage, which has also been 

 observed on oaks, limes, and robinias. Lasius Jiarus, Latr. 

 injures young plantations of spruce, silver-fir, beech, ash, 



* Ceulralbl. liir das gcs. Forstw., 1876, p. IGO. 



