OF WASHINGTON 263 



that occurs in abundance in the pine woods in the District of Co 

 lumbia. This species lias a larva exactly like that of L. fabric-it 

 (Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc., v, 200) ; but the flies have zojointed 

 antennae in the 9 and iS-jointed in the cT. Therefore I let the 

 new name stand, pending an investigation of the exact value of 

 larval characters as compared with the number of joints in the 

 adult antenna. 



Mr. Fernow suggested that the plant was probably red cedar 

 and not Arborvitae. No decision could be reached. 



Mr. Schwarz exhibited an Erotylid beetle, the genus of which 

 is new to the United States. It was Hcematochiton elateroides 

 Gorham, and was collected by Mr. Hubbard in the Chiricahua 

 Mountains at an elevation of 10,000 feet. It was previously only 

 found at Ventanas, in the State of Durango, Mex., and in the 

 vicinity of Mexico City. 



Mr. Pratt exhibited adults and larvae of Sciara fraterna* 

 and read the following note : 



A NOTE ON A BRED SCIARA LARVA. 

 By F. C. PRATT. 



On August 2, 1897, while at a small farming place near Pooles- 

 ville, Montgomery Co., Md., my attention was attracted early in 

 the morning by what appeared to be a snake crawling very slowly 

 across the road, but to my surprise on closer examination I found 

 that the snake was simply a mass of moving dipterous larvae. 

 These larvae measured f of an inch in length, and were about the 

 thickness of a No. 5 Klaeger pin. 



In the bright morning sunlight the color of the mass was of a 

 steel blue. After obtaining a supply of specimens I watched the 

 remainder. The space made by taking specimens from near the 

 middle of the mass was soon filled up by the rear half of the larvae, 

 which hurried along and joined the front half, the latter mean 

 while traversing not more than two inches before being overtaken. 

 The entire length of this snake-like mass was 15 inches f of an 

 inch wide and ^ an inch in depth. It tapered off at the posterior 

 end, resembling the tail of a snake. The popular impression at 

 Poolesville concerning these " snake worms" or " worm snakes,'' 

 as they are locally termed, is that froth dropped from a horse's 

 mouth will change to one of these "snake worms" before sun 

 down. No further information was obtainable as to the ultimate 

 destination of the larvae, but they were no doubt bent on rinding 

 some suitable place to pupate. The larvae obtained were placed 

 in a jar containing damp sand August 3, where they immediately 



