No. 415.] NESTS OF AMERICAN ANTS. 519 
I. Myrmecina graminicola Forster. 
Myrmecina graminicola (M. latreillei Curt.) is a small, rather 
rare ant, occurring both in Europe and North America. On 
our continent it is represented by two subspecies — americanus 
Emery, with its variety drevispinosus Emery, and a second 
undescribed subspecies recently discovered in Texas. 
The habits of the European Myrmecina have been observed 
by Forel (74, pp. 352-353). He found it living in small colo- 
nies under stones. It is rather sluggish and cowardly. When 
disturbed, instead of defending itself or running away like 
most other ants, it relies on the protection afforded by its very 
hard integument, rolls itself up in a ball and “feigns death." 
Forel found that it would not attack Tetramorium cespitum or 
Strongylognathus huberi, even when these ants invaded its nest. 
he European Myrmecina is described as having a penchant for 
forming double nests with other ants. One of the two colonies 
found by Forel was near a nest of Formica "ufa, the other near 
a nest of Ponera coarctata. Wasmann (91, p. 176, footnote) 
also found a Myrmecina colony in a nest of Forma exsecta. 
So far as I have been able to observe, our American sub- 
Species appear to have the same habits as the European form. 
A few specimens of the new subspecies found at Austin were 
under a stone which covered besides a small colony of Formica 
subsericeo-neorufibarbis Emery (= F. guava Buckl.. Two nests 
of the subspecies americanus, variety brevispinosus, found at 
Colebrook, Conn., during the past summer, were associated 
with Stenamma Sulvum, subsp. aquia Buckl, and Ponera 
coarciata, subsp. pennsylvanica Buck. 
2. Leptothorax muscorum Nylander. 
According to Emery (95, p. 318), Leptothorax muscorum, like 
Myrmecina, occurs in the United States as well as in Europe, 
but nothing is known concerning its habits in the former 
locality. In Sweden, according to Adlerz (86, p. 210), it has 
a decided proclivity for living within the confines of Formica 
rufa nests. Both Adlerz and Wasmann (91, p. 225) lay stress 
