1899] 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 109 



with the cocoons of a parasite as to almost obscure- tin- larva from 

 view. The specimen was found on the red mangrove at Osprer, 

 Florida. The parasites were Braconida?. Two hundred and fifty 

 larvae were counted, although there were many more. As. high as 

 twelve hundred parasites have been reported from a single larva 

 Dr. Skinner made some remarks on insects in relation to pain and 

 emphasized the fact that the greit numbers of progeny produced 

 compensated for pain as a means of protection to lite, so necessary 

 in the higher order of animals. Mr. Sc-i<s siid h had kept a speci- 

 men of Pn'onidus crislnl it* \\Y\ve for two months impaled jna pin. 

 and it took its food and ate, for that period, as though nothing 

 were wrong. Dr. McCook mentioned that iuss^ts deprived of their 

 abdomens would suck honey or sweet fluids which would enter the 

 mouth and come out the end of the thorax where severed from the 

 abdomen. He also spoke of soldiers during the heat of battle, hav- 

 ing severe wounds and suffering little pain. The experience of 

 Livingston, the African traveler, was als,> related, in which a lion 

 munched his arm and no pain was felt- !>; Skinner madesoine re- 

 marks on the subject of insects as carriers of disease, and especially 

 mentioned the probability of M>ixc domestica carrying the Bacil- 

 nis ti/phoxtis, the cause of typhoid or enteric fever These insects 

 settle on fecal matter, from patients sutfjrin > from this disease and 

 then settle on food, and the poison of the disease is carried into the 

 alimentary canal of other persons. The flies foot is admirably 

 adopted for picking up "germs "and cirrying them about. The 

 life history of Mw-t domesticpt ha-; 10 bairing on this subject, ex- 

 cept that they are more numerous whei-3 hor-e miumv is plentiful. 

 All latrines in camps should be covered, as diurnal ins^cfs avoid 

 dark places. Dr. McCooksiid he had visited every principal camp 

 in this country and Cuba during the lit? war and found the flies 

 simply disgusting at times. At Camp Alger.in June, flies swanm-d 

 around the mouths of patients suffering frjin variou* diseises. In 

 the mess tents of the o/ftVo-.s- it was impolitic to eit with any de- 

 gree ot comfort, without an abundant supply of mosquito netting. 

 The president said while in Cub i h;- w is to > b;i ;y to study insi- sts, 

 but did DOtice the "cutting ants" while g,>;ni up theliillto Morro 

 Castle. A black spe-ie< was cHinbing up t'n pit'is and tlu-cu-pi- 

 dor shaped openings were observed and the ants seen carrying in 

 the little bits of leives and probably \\ o.rh-rini:- wlntall the din ot 

 battle had be3n about. At Sin .Fuanridg;- they were airiin notice 1 

 and around a tree a Iarg3 tormiciry of the- an!- w.i- fouinl- They 

 seem to have the sens? of dire -lion iv.u irk i ! )ly w,-ll dcy, -loped and 

 their burrows, on line< through a rank tro])ical grass and wci-ils, run 

 almost as accurately as an engineer run- a siraiirht lint- !'r a rail- 

 road. At Sintiau'o twj hand<.:ii;- 8p83i - of -jiidcrs wen- ols:>rvcd, 

 which hadtiirovvn th;-ir \\ '- lor forty fes . making a canopy over 

 a path, covered on either side by rich tropical loli.agt- about eight 

 feet in hei"-ht. These interesting natural scene- uvre i:i greit con- 



