﻿INJURIOUS 
  INSECTS, 
  

  

  *^ 
  Camponotus 
  Pennsylvanicus 
  " 
  and 
  "Formica 
  rufa." 
  

  

  Carpenter 
  Ant 
  and 
  Mound-building 
  Ant. 
  

   (Ord. 
  Hymenoptera 
  : 
  Fam. 
  Formicid^.) 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  preceding 
  Report 
  of 
  this 
  series 
  (Eleventh), 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  ants, 
  

   Camponotus 
  herculajieus 
  var. 
  Pemisylvonicus^ 
  is 
  represented 
  as 
  sometimes 
  

   entering 
  dwellings 
  from 
  nests 
  built 
  outside 
  near 
  the 
  house. 
  In 
  one 
  instance 
  

   mentioned 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Riley, 
  a 
  fine 
  old 
  homestead 
  was 
  so 
  overrun 
  with 
  it 
  that 
  

   it 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  being 
  sold, 
  when 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  infestation 
  was 
  

   discovered 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  nest 
  of 
  several 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter 
  in 
  the 
  back 
  yard. 
  

  

  In 
  all 
  probability 
  the 
  above 
  infestation 
  as 
  cited 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Riley 
  was 
  

   erroneously 
  referred 
  to 
  C. 
  herculmieus 
  . 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  H. 
  C. 
  McCook, 
  of 
  

   Philadelphia, 
  who 
  has 
  made 
  special 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  our 
  N. 
  Ameri- 
  

   can 
  ants, 
  has 
  modestly 
  questioned 
  the 
  statement 
  in 
  a 
  recent 
  letter 
  received 
  

   from 
  him 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  think 
  that 
  I 
  may 
  venture 
  to 
  question 
  the 
  statement 
  respecting 
  

   Camponotus 
  Pennsylva7iicus 
  on 
  page 
  113. 
  I 
  am 
  reasonably 
  familiar 
  with 
  

   the 
  habits 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  and, 
  have 
  never 
  known 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  a 
  nest 
  

   made 
  in 
  the 
  earth, 
  as 
  implied 
  in 
  your 
  statement. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  carpenter 
  ant 
  

   exclusively, 
  and 
  lives 
  in 
  trees 
  and 
  timber. 
  I 
  suspect, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  a 
  

   mistake 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  species. 
  I 
  have 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  

   the 
  Pennsylvania 
  carpenter 
  ant 
  in 
  houses, 
  but 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  inclined 
  

   to 
  such 
  resorts, 
  and 
  I 
  very 
  much 
  doubt 
  if 
  it 
  could 
  have 
  proved 
  a 
  house- 
  

   hold 
  pest. 
  

  

  " 
  I 
  make 
  the 
  above 
  statement 
  with 
  some 
  degree 
  of 
  confidence, 
  even 
  

   though 
  you 
  quote 
  Dr. 
  Riley 
  for 
  your 
  authority. 
  However, 
  it" 
  Mr. 
  Theodore 
  

   Pergande 
  endorses 
  the 
  species, 
  I 
  suppose 
  I 
  should 
  waive 
  my 
  objection, 
  

   as 
  he 
  is 
  well 
  acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  our 
  American 
  Ants." 
  

  

  Dr. 
  McCook 
  has 
  also 
  indicated 
  another 
  error 
  made 
  by 
  me, 
  on 
  page 
  

   115 
  of 
  the 
  Report 
  cited, 
  where 
  Forfnica 
  ru/a 
  is 
  given 
  as 
  the 
  '' 
  not 
  improb- 
  

   able 
  " 
  annoying 
  occupant 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  of 
  a 
  lawn 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Long 
  

   Island, 
  which 
  " 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  is 
  alive 
  with 
  ants," 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  arti- 
  

   ficers 
  of 
  large 
  mounds 
  seen 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  Catskills 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Shawangunk 
  

   range 
  at 
  Lake 
  Mohonk. 
  He 
  writes 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  You 
  refpr 
  to 
  our 
  American 
  mound-making 
  ants 
  as 
  Formica 
  rufa. 
  

   That 
  is 
  a 
  blunder 
  which 
  I 
  made 
  when 
  I 
  first 
  published 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  

   habits 
  of 
  these 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  Transactions 
  of 
  the 
  x\merican 
  Entomological 
  

  

  