212 Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Lowis 
These fifteen beetle cases seemed to be the entire population 
for on several subsequent examinations no others were found. 
The larvae quickly retreated into their shells when touched, and 
they lived in the laboratory for a few weeks feeding on apple. 
It was amusing to see the larva, with the head and four or five 
segments of the body hanging out of the bag, biting away at 
a tiny bit of apple held by the front legs in squirrel-like fashion, 
devouring in this manner mouthful after mouthful of the fruit. 
The larva walks about on the floor with only the front half 
of the body protruding from the cocoon, and as it transports 
itself it drags the bag along in a snail- like manner. The last 
segments of the body are misshapen and remind one of the 
posterior segments of the hermit crab which lives in a manner 
not unlike this little ant guest beetle. These last segments of 
the beetle adhere in the same way to the cocoon as does the 
shell of the hermit crab and one cannot remove the insect from 
it without destroying the case. I have kept several specimens 
alive in the laboratory without food for one week. 
ae = days later I took from the top of the same nest 
half dozen of the flattened cases made by a TYeneid moth, 
[Wm. M. Wheele r| and from time to time I picked up several 
orthopterous guest insects that were identified by Mr. A. N. 
Caudell as A/yrmecophila pergandei Bruner. 
-Formica fusca var. subsericea (Say) [M. R. Smith] 
For about eight years I have noticed in my back yard ae 
one-half dozen mounds of this ant that were quite large (6 0 
8 inches high and 18 to 24 inches in diameter) and in addition 
for the past three years an enormous colony has covered my 
terrace with the pellets from their nest excavations. All of the 
colony for several years, and I have definite information that 
one such colony inhabited a small mound for three consecutive 
years. 
Early in April of each year great excavating activity occurs 
about nests; the ants work at night as well as by day during 
the spring rush, but later in the summer excavating activities 
are seldom seen. The workers during July were often seen 
at dishes of honey placed outdoors to attract other insects and 
they gathered this honey during the day as well as during the 
night. 
The mature forms leave the nest in June and July as the 
following records show: 
June 13, 1930. One winged queen at the electric light. 
June 23, 1930. Several winged males and one enormous 
wingless queen at the electric light. 
