172 The Ottawa Naturalist. [October 



ENTOMOLOGY. 

 Worm-snakes and Snake-worms. 



Upon rare occasions and at lon^ intervals, the field-naturalist 

 in his rambles comes across a strange grayish old-rope-like object 

 lying on the ground but moving forward very slowly and bearing 

 a remarkable resemblance to some strange kind of snake. These 

 are known as "worm-snakes" and are made up of myriads of the 

 grayish or leaden-coloured larvas called " snake-worms " which 

 are the maggots of certain gnats belonging to the genus Sctara. 

 These gnats are superficially somewhat like mosquitoes but have 

 much more conspicuous antennae, and have also the important 

 difference of habit that they do not bite. The maggots of several 

 kinds of these gnats have gregarious habits and some may be 

 found in dense masses under the bark of trees. When full-grown 

 the snake-worms are about Y% of an inch long and a little thicker 

 than an ordinary pin, of a dirty white colour, tapering slightly to 

 each end and with a tiny black shining head. When about to 

 change to the pupa state, they congregate in vast numbers, form 

 processions and migrate, sometimes long distances, in search of a 

 suitable place to complete their transformations. 



The following interesting account of one of these curious mi- 

 grations is written by our correspondent, Mr. T. N. Willing, of 

 Sylvan Glade, Olds, Alberta : " While at Prince Albert on the 

 20th of July last, my attention was called to a very strange sight. 

 At first glance it appeared like a snake about five feet long, which 

 tapered from the head to the tail and moved slowly along the 

 ground. Upon closer examination this rope-like object proved to 

 be composed of a vast number of whitish larvse, of which I am 

 sending you some samples in alcohol. These larvas had moved in 

 a body about 30 feet from where their trail was first seen, issuing 

 from underneath a wood pile. They all kept together in the form 

 of a snake, the head being about half an inch thick, one and'a 

 half inches wide, and two inches long. From this head the body 

 tapered from one inch wide down to a single larva. Upon draw- 

 ing a stick across the body of this snake of worms, so as to scat- 

 ter them, they immediately closed up again and completed the con- 

 tinuity of the mass. I enquired the next day what had become of 



