OF WASHINGTON. f) 
larva issuing from it was furnished with a live Culex larva about 
twice its size. The Megarhinus seized the Culex by the anal 
segment and gradually devoured it. It was then furnished with 
a Culex larva of still larger size and it found, upon grasping this 
larva as it did the first one, that it could not maintain its hold, 
but was shaken off. The Megarhinus thereupon changed its 
tactics and grasped the Culex by the prothoracic segment. This 
ruse was successful, for the Culex was then unable to free itself 
from the Megarhinus and was relentlessly devoured. All larvae 
subsequently attacked by Megarhinus were seized by the pro- 
thorax regardless of their size. Dr. Hopkins stated that this 
was the only time he had found Megarhinus in West Virginia. 
Mr. Schwarz said he believed it would be well to explore for 
mosquito larvae pools whose water was covered with the irides- 
cent film of oxide of iron. He thought it quite possible that 
interesting and peculiar larvae might be found inhabiting such 
situations. He mentioned the location of a spring pool of this 
character near Plummer's Island, Maryland. Dr. Hopkins 
stated that he had found larvae in film-covered pools in the 
neighborhood of coal mines. Dr. Dyar remarked that these 
were in all probability the larvae of Culex pipiens. Dr. Hop- 
kins questioned Mr. Barber as to whether Megarhinus adults 
were known to bite, Mr. Barber replying that he thought in- 
stances of their biting were known. 
Mr. Schwarz exhibited a box of the ears of the grass Cen- 
chrus echinatus Linn., collected by him at Cayamas, Cuba, in 
May, 1904, with numerous specimens of large-sized insects cap- 
tured by the spinous spicules of the grass. He has prepared 
the following abstract of his remarks : 
THE INSECT-CATCHING GRASS OF CUBA. 
BY E. A. SCHWARZ. 
[Author's Abstract.} 
Cenchrus echinatus Linn, is a widely distributed grass in trop- 
ical countries, both in the Old and New Worlds, but its insect- 
capturing capacity seems to have hitherto escaped the attention 
of botanists and entomologists alike. In the sugar-cane grow- 
ing regions of central Cuba it occurs plentifully along the road- 
