THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 175 



its rock ledges and bluffs be omitted; nor Calais and other sandy beaches; nor 

 the cliffs and upland flats near Speightstown — each somewhat different in its 

 aspect from the other, and lending some variety to the scenery as well as to 

 the day's catch. 



The Arachnids are extremely well represented on Barbados, and vary in 

 size from spiders with an extent of from four to five inches to the minute 

 Tetranychus. The Barbados tarantula, a tailless whip scorpion, is among the 

 most interesting of the group, and is commonly found under the moist bark of 

 decaying trees. 



Myriapods are very common. A black Julid with transverse markings 

 of green and averaging from four to four and one-half centimeters in length is 

 most abundant. On one occasion a sort of migratory movement of these 

 Arthropods was observed. Hundreds of them were crossing the dazzling 

 M'hite coral road in moving from one cane field to another, and al^ seemed to 

 be going in "the same direction. A small Polydesmid is very common under 

 rocks along the bases of the terraces. 



Scolopendrids are abundant under sticks and stones in damp places and 

 under the dried leaves of sugar cane, with which some of the fields are covered. 

 These Centipedes are known locally as "forty-legs," and the natives have a 

 great fear of them. The popular belief is that a bite from one of them will 

 cause a "fever" in the victim. The specimens are commonly from three to 

 six inches in length, very active and difficult to handle, and it requires consider- 

 able dexterity to transfer one safely to the killing bottle without being bitten. 



Many years ago the Mongoose (Herpestes) was imported into Barbados 

 for the purpose of destroying the rats. It is now fairly common all over the 

 island. While it, no doubt, has been responsible for some diminution in the 

 number of rats the experiment has not been a success, for in addition to its 

 destruction of birds of various kinds, particularly the Ground doves (Columbi- 

 oallina), the blood-thirsty animal has killed off a great many lizards and centi- 

 pedes, which are enemies of insects. As a result destructive insects have be- 

 come more abundant on the island since the introduction of this animal, which 

 is now much despised by the natives. 



Of the Hexapoda only the more conspicuous will be mentioned here. On 

 account of the scarcity of suitable breeding places the order Odonata is not 

 well represented. The vicinity of Indian and Bird Rivers and the I^rge swamp 

 in the suburbs of Bridgetown offer limited opportunity for larval development. 

 The common pond fly (Erythrodiplax nmhrata) and the red pond fly (Tramea 

 abdominf-lis) are probably the most abundant. Four or five other representa- 

 tives of the order occur here also. 



The order Orthoptera is represented by a goodly number of species. Ear- 

 wigs {Forficula) are common in rocky places in the vicinity of cane fields, and in 

 leaf sheaths and stems of old canes. Cockroaches are abundant ijn cane fieljfis 

 and houses; a haU dozen species are found on the island. One of the most 

 common, and at the same time conspicuous representatives of the group is the 

 large, yellowish, short-horned grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens), which is found 

 commonly on the flats grown up ijU sour grass. The insect is very difficult to 

 capture on account of its rapid flight and its habit, when closely pursued, of 

 crawling some distance in the short grass before again taking flight, and then 



