INSl'XT NOTCS. 273 



stage. As numerous ants were doing this and from 'many 

 nests, the incident was of particular interest. As the aphids 

 appeared to be squeezed and helpless, all the ants which could 

 be caught in about 20 minutes were made to drop their aphids 

 for examination. The aphid in each case was either dead or 

 roughly injured and there seemed to be but one explanation — 

 that the ants were appropriating these juicy insects for food. 

 In view of the peaceful and often interbeneficial relations of 

 ants and aphids in general this occurrence seems worth noting. 



Aroostook Potato Insects. 



The nearly continuous rains of the season made field obser- 

 vations unprofitable in this part of the State. A considerable 

 mass of miscellanous data for various potato 'feeding insects 

 has accumulated, but the notes for the most part should be 

 supplemented by observations over a longer period of years, 

 before being recorded. A single species of plant louse, Nectar- 

 ophora solanifolii, was followed closely throughout the season 

 and the results given in a separate bulletin. A spring search 

 for the tarnished plant -bug, Lygus pratensis, present in enor- 

 mous numbers last fall,* was made May 6-8, with the surpris- 

 ing outcome that in a particularly favorable hibernating place 

 only one tarnished plant-bug was uncovered in several hours' 

 careful hunting. Meanwhile 200 or 300 ground-beetles and 

 rove-beetles were observed skirmishing the same haunts, and 

 the following laboratory feeding experiments confirmed the 

 suspicion that the tarnished plant-bugs seeking this shelter the 

 previous fall, crept literally into the jaws of their natural 

 enemies. 



Predaceous Beetles and Hibernating Insects. — Feeding notes 

 for ground-beetles and rove-beetles. A potato field near Houl- 

 ton, the vines of which were in the fall of 1906 overrun with 

 tarnished plant-bugs, 2 species of flea beetles (E. cucumeris and 

 5. hudsonias) as well as other plant feeding insects, is bordered 

 by tempting shelter for hibernating insects. At the left of this 

 field separating it from the next is a lane with a line of logs 

 laid in lieu of a fence. Grass and weeds grow the whole dis- 

 tance and more or less rubbish (piles of old potato vines, etc.) 



* Me. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 134, p. 214-215. 



