COCKROACHES AND HOUSE ANTS. 95 



employed in England and on the (continent of Europe as a means of col- 

 lecting and destroying roaches. These devices are all so constructed 

 that the roaches may easily get into them and can not afterwards 

 escape. The destruction of the roaclies is effected either by tlie liquid 

 into which they fall or by dousing them with hot water. A few of the 

 common forms of traps and tlie methods of using them are here 

 described. 



A French trap consists of a box containing an attractive bait, the 

 cover of which is replaced by four glass plates inclined toward the 

 center. The roaches fall fiom the covering glasses into the box and are 

 unable to escape. A similar traj) used in England is described by 

 Westwood. It consists of a small wooden box in which a circular hole 

 is cut in the top and fitted with a glass ring, so that it is impossible for 

 the roaches to escape. This trap is baited nightly, and the catch thrown 

 each morning into boiling water. A simpler form of trap, which I am 

 informed by Mr. F. C. Pratt is very successfully used in London, Eng- 

 land, consists of any deep vessel or jar, against which a number of 

 sticks are placed, and bent over so that they project into the interior of 

 the vessel for a few inches. The vessel is i)artially filled with stale beer 

 or ale, a liquid for which roaches seem to have a special fondness. In 

 the morning these vessels are found charged with great (juantities of 

 dead and dying roaches, which have climbed up the inclined sticks and 

 slii)ped off into the vessel. We have had fair success with this last 

 method against the oriental roach in Washington, but against the more 

 wary and active Croton bug it is comparatively useless. 



Traps of the sort described, iilaced in pantries or bakeries, will unques- 

 tionably destroy great quantities of roaches, and keep them, perhaps, 

 more effectively in check than the use of the troublesome insect powders 

 or the distribution of ])oisoned bait, especially as the latter are so often 

 ineffective. 



NATURAL ENEMIES AND PARASITES. 



The common European egg parasite of the roach. Era uitt appendi- 

 gaster, is now probably widely distributed. It occurs in the United 

 States and has also been found in Cuba. Unfortunately, its usefulness 

 is largely imi)aired by the occurrence of a secondary parasite, Eniedon 

 haf/enou'i, which preys upon and destroys the first, and has also been 

 introduced into this country with it. 



A corresi)ondent informs us also that the common tree frog will clear 

 rooms of roaches over night very effectually. 



HOUSE ANTS. 



(Mo)iomoriitm jthttnionis. ct <il.) 



Tliere are a number of species of ants often occurring in houses, the 

 more important of which are common to both hemispheres, and are 

 probably of Old World origin. One of these, the little red ant {Monomo- 

 riu7n pharaonis Linn.), has become thoroughly domesticated and passes 



