378 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



bordered with ice-like crystals and crusts. Where these enter the 

 water, when turned over they are lined with green algae and upon 

 these there is in vast numbers a small Hydrophilid ( Creniphilus 

 n. sp.) with pale elytral tip, and in almost equal number, in the 

 mud beneath, a pale Philhydrus (Ph. diffusus Lee.) of large size, 

 and less commonly two species of Ochthebius ( O. rectus Lee., 

 and n. sp.}. In the surface of the slimy pools is common a salt fly, 

 evidently an Ephydra, of bronze color, its pupa to be found in 

 the rust-colored mud and algae under the water. A few insig 

 nificant looking Staphylinidae (Homalota and Trogophloeus} are 

 to be found in the salt-grass around the edges of flowing springs ; 

 there is also Actobius pcederoides Lee. a small Dyschirius (7). in 

 teger} and some semiaquatic Hemiptera (Salda) in the pupa stage. 

 There is finally a small black Tachys ( Tachys corax) running 

 commonly about on the salt mud. 



Around some of these springy places are large clumps of a very 

 tall cane grass, which form mounds several feet in height. These 

 are too dense and matted to enter usually, but sometimes, where 

 the mounds are abrupt and not too wet, there is a hard crust of 

 saline soil, under which is a moist and even pasty mass of rotten 

 grass in which two species of ants have formed extensive colonies. 

 One of these is a small red species ( Cremastogaster sp.), the 

 other a very large pellucid, honey-yellow form (Camponotus 

 fragilis}, and always in, under, or about these colonies are found 

 specimens, in considerable numbers, of two species of the Ca rabid 

 genus Thalpius ( Th. dor sails, Lee., hornii Chd.) . I do not sup 

 pose that these beetles are so much myrmecophilous as they are 

 attracted by the honey dew of a Homopteron which occurs in 

 large colonies among the ants. The mature insect of this Ho 

 mopteron is grey, with thin broad wings, and the young with wide 

 flaring caudal tufts of wax. 



I have very few other insects from Salton, but I saw many frag 

 ments of a summer fauna preserved in the salt crust, and among 

 them there is Cicindela hcemorrhagica, which certainly belongs 

 to the saline fauna. 



The saline fauna of Salton seems to be very poor ; in fact, there 

 is too much salt here, and I did not find any of the Great Salt 

 Lake species. Moreover, the investigation of this fauna is very 

 difficult because everything is cemented solidly by salt and soda 

 sulphate. 



Some discussion ensued on the question as to whether the 

 Colorado desert had been occupied at any modern period by an 

 arm of the sea, Messrs. Vaughan, Schwarz, and Gill taking part. 



As the time for adjournment had not quite been reached at 



