During the summer of 1929 it occurred to the author to collect the subterranean insects of stands of marsh grass (Spartina Michauxiana Hitchcock). No large areas of this grass were found in the vicinity of Ames, Iowa. The places of study hence were restricted to a half dozen small spots along the fence lines of tilled fields near Ames. The soil was a black loam and not well-drained at these places. The digging in this tough sod proved rather a slow procedure. With a spade a piece of sod about six by eight inches was loosened at a time and the mass of rootstocks, roots and soil was separated at the side of the road to bring the insects into view. This method did not lend itself to quantitative study.