OF WASHINGTON. 55 



ers in this section are Indians.- Oaxaca he found to be a very 

 interesting city with some curious remnants of an old civilization, 

 among which were the rude ox carts commonly used there. The 

 Indians thereabouts are only partially civilized and are bad char 

 acters, often committing robbery in the surrounding country ; 

 collecting is, therefore, attended with danger. Through the 

 kindness of a policeman, who pointed his revolver in a threaten 

 ing manner at some of the Indians to keep them quiet and in posi 

 tion, he was enabled to secure photographs of them. Fleas were 

 extremely abundant in this country as he discovered to his cost. 



Owing to the almost incessant rains occurring in Mexico at 

 that time of year (September) collecting was difficult. Among 

 the insects obtained were a new species of Bombus, a Fulgorid 

 (Acrcep/it'a) pronounced new (the egg masses of which were also 

 collected), and an interesting and widely distributed earwig of 

 good size, Sphingolabis tceniata Dohrn. An egg-mass of a katy 

 did (Microcentrum species) , given him by Prof. Herrera, differed 

 from those found in this country in that the eggs were laid almost 

 perpendicularly to the surface of the leaf, instead of horizontally. 

 In Oaxaca he found one entomologist who had quite a collection, 

 and the Oaxaca Museum also contained a collection, which was, 

 however, in very bad condition. 



Returning to Mexico City, he proceeded from there to El Paso, 

 Texas, this time taking the Mexico Central Railroad. The coun 

 try along this route is very similar to that on the Mexico National. 

 From El Paso he went to Los Angeles, California, where he met 

 Dr. A. Fenyes, Mr. H. C. Fall, and Mr. F. Grinnell, Jr. The 

 mother of the latter gentleman was much interested in natural 

 history objects, and among other things she had a living colony 

 of the very poisonous spider Lathrodectus mactans as pets. On 

 being told of the dangerous character of her pets she resolved 

 after some hesitation, to have them killed. 



From Los Angeles he proceeded to Fresno. In the latter place 

 he found the Smyrna figs well established, and a large crop had 

 been gathered. San Francisco was the next point visited ; one of 

 the most interesting things, in his opinion, found here is the 

 beautiful little island of Belvidere in San Francisco Bay, with its 

 unique and picturesque dwellings. Portland, Oregon ; Seattle, 

 Washington, and Moscow, Idaho, were then visited in turn. At 



