90 
the winter nests of ants; and here the grass louse evidently hi¬ 
bernates. When these nests are broken up, the ants evince no 
choice between the root lice and their own young in their eager 
and heroic efforts to carry them to places of safety. 
In the spring the ants dig new burrows around the roots 
certain plants, and convey their charges to these new habita¬ 
tions; and during the summer they change them from one food 
plant to another, as the varying condition of the plants and 
the requirements of the root lice may demand. In return for 
these favors, this Schizoneura permits the ants to feed not 'only 
upon the “honey-dew” coming from the cornicles, but also on a 
waxy substance excreted from pores in the sides of the ab¬ 
domen. We have several times seen the ants gathered about a 
detached mass of this wax, and apparently eating it. 
The ants collected in attendance on this root louse all belonged 
to the following forms: Formica schaufussi, Mayr (Plate XI., 
Fig. 2), once in attendance; L. interjectus, Mayr; L. niger , Linn., 
and its variety alienus, Forst; and L. favus, DeGeer. The ant 
last mentioned is perhaps most commonly found in charge of it, 
the other species of Lasius mentioned differing but little with re¬ 
spect to the frequency of their occurrence in this relation. 
So far as now known, this insect is little likely to call for re¬ 
medial measures, as corn is liable to injury by it only after 
grass, and the damage is, at most, slight and evanescent. 
DESCRIPTION.* 
Wingless Viviparous Female (Plate IX., Fig. 1).—Body ovate, 
more or less elongate, dirty w hite with a yellowish tinge, with a 
variably developed pattern of yellowish fuscous markings in the 
adult, dotted with white at the origin of the minute hairs which 
are scattered over the smooth surface of the body. 
Head rather small, but longer than the succeeding segments, 
uniformly yellowish dusky, with a darker spot each side of the 
median line, a little in advance of the eye. Antennae attaining 
middle of side of metathorax, not very thick, somewhat hairy, 
especially on outer joints, colored like the head ; apical joints 
dark brownish, spur nearly black, third joint pale except near 
apex; six-jointed, IV and V nearly equal, V a little the 
longer; IV about twice as long as thick; III nearly or quite 
as long as IV and V combined, and equally thick; II about 
three fourths as thick as I, and III half as thick as I; I and 
II together tw r o thirds the length of III alone; and VI hah 
longer than V, the spur constituting one fourth of its length. 
V bears the usual round sensorium, placed upon a slight pro¬ 
longation of the apex beneath. On VI, at the baseWf the spur, 
is a round sensorium, posterior to w’hich are three or more 
smaller sensoria. The eyes are quite variable in the extent of the 
* By Mr. 0. A. Hart. 
