June, '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 231 



An Entomological Journey in Mexico, with Special 



reference to Odonata. 

 BY PHILIP P. CALVERT. 



As the manuscript on the Odonata for the Biologia Centrali- 

 Americana drew near completion, in July, 1906, it seemed 

 desirable to see some of the insects in their native haunts. Mrs. 

 Calvert and I therefore undertook the journey here described 

 with these two objects in view: to obtain a general idea of 

 Mexico and to make some collections of Odonata, more especi- 

 ally in the northern part of the plateau, that being an odonato- 

 logically unknown region. Owing to the limited time at our 

 command, the first of the these objects prevented our remaining 

 long in one place so that our collections must be very incom- 

 plete, even for that time of year, while our second object took us 

 to some localities at which we otherwise would not have 

 stopped. 



The present article will give our itinerary, for future 

 reference, and some notes and suggestions which may be useful 

 to other entomologists visiting the same country. It should be 

 observed that our tour was made in the rainy season and that 

 by common report the rains were heavier than usual. Partly 

 for this cause, the trains on which we traveled were frequently 

 delayed, the total amount of time thus lost beteween El Paso 

 and Mexico City being 54 hours. Most of this loss occurred in 

 such situations and at such times (after nightfall) as to 

 prevent utilization. We shall not soon forget waiting under 

 the open sky near the station at Aguascalientes from midnight 

 to 4.30 A. M. for a train that was momentarily "expected," 

 through trains here, as in many other places, being one in every 

 twenty-four hours. After Mexico City we had few delays 

 until on the Southern Pacific in Texas. We found the "Excur- 

 sion into Mexico" of the 1904 edition of Baedeker's "United 

 States" very useful. 



The data on the Odonata which we obtained have been in- 

 corporated in a Supplement in the Biologia volume. Other 

 insects, incidentally gathered, have been placed in the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and in the University of 

 Pennsylvania. 



