88 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, '05 



Notes and Ne\vs. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS 



OF THE GLOBE. 



CORRECTION. Page 24, Vol. 16, lines 3 and 16, for aurifer read pretans. 



WE regret to announce the death of Alpheus S. Packard, M.D., Ph.D.' 

 of Providence, Rhode Island. 



In Holland's Moth Book, Nos. 23 and 24, PI. xvii, should be transposed, 

 both in reference to the plate and in the text on page 232. EDGAR J. 

 SMITH, Natick, Mass. 



PSEUDOTAMILA CARMiNATRA. This litte Noctuid was desribed by Dr. 

 J. B Smith in Trans-Amer. Ent. Soc., 1903, p. 207. In the check-list the 

 name is misprinted carminala. The original account stated that the 

 specimens were thought to have been collected by Mr. Mason, but the 

 accurate locality (other than Colorado) was unknown. Recently Mr. 

 John T. Mason showed me a considerable series, all collected in Den- 

 ver. There is no doubt that he obtained the types. The species is very 

 distinct and easily recognized. T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



No POETRY IN BUGS? Read the following verses by an unknown 

 author, and find poetry and politics as well : 



The lightning bug seems brilliant 



But he has not any mind ; 

 For he stumbles through existence 

 With his head light on behind. 



The measuring worm is different ; 



When he starts out for pelf 

 He reaches to the limit, 



And then he humps himself. 



WITH regard to Mr. Kirkaldy's query as to how the giant water bugs 

 move their hind legs, I would say that a live Benacus griseus was brought 

 to me to-day and I at once put him in a bottle of water to see how he 

 acted. He invariably moved the hind legs together, not alternately ; I 

 then took him out and placed him on a table to see him crawl, in this 

 position he at first moved the hind legs together, but afterward alterna- 

 tely. Several more tests resulted in the same way, in swimming the hind 

 legs were always moved together, in crawling they were always moved 

 together at first, and afterwards, when he got used to the situa- 

 tion, alternately ; the alternate movement was always, however, rather 

 half-hearted and showed a tendency to revert to the swimming move- 

 ment. 



With regard to Ranatra I have a very distinct impression of having seen 

 them move the hind legs together, not alternately when swimming, after 

 having been thrown back in the water, C. S, BRIMLEY. 



