A DAY IN THE 



149" 



the other, and at each such passage the action is that of a pair of 

 scissors. In I'/u/matoct'ia, the saws as they cut in this way remain 

 quite straight, but as they cut they gradually extend beyond the sup- 

 ports so far as they can, and are then Avithdrawn, to repeat the process 

 one step forward, or what comes to the same thing, the supports are 

 advanced to where the saws have reached so that they can again 

 advance. 



Explanation of Plates. 

 Plate IV. 



Two photographs of the Terebra of l'hy)iiatocera aterrima x 20. In both the two 

 plates of the teiebra are dislocated in mounting so as not to be exactly over each 

 other, as they are in nature. The saws happen to be in relation to the supports ia 

 different degrees of advancement, positions they pass through when in action. 



Plate V. 



Diagrams to illustrate the cutting of the pocket by Plujmatocera. These are 

 sulliciently referred to in the text ; it is only necessary here to emphasise that they 

 are diagrams and not drawings, and though fairly to scale, are not to be taken as 

 accurate in this respect. They are about ten times natural size. 



A Day in the . 



By Lieut. -CoL. N. MANDERS, E.A.M.C,, F.E.S. 



[Note. — Owing to the strict censorship of our correspondence I am 

 unable to state the exact position from which 1 write, but I daresay 

 entomologists can make a fair guess from what I have written.] 



The following, except for a few verbal alterations, is taken verbatim 

 from my notebook dated May 3rd. I may first, however, give a general 

 idea of what the surrounding country is like. To those who know the 

 Riviera, and more particularly Hyeres and the hills at the back of it, 

 I need only say a description of that locality would fulfil all needful 

 conditions except that of course there are no houses and practically no 

 cultivation. The hills are exceedingly steep, with deep precipitous 

 ravines covered with dwarf holly, Mediterranean heath, myrtle and 

 rhododendrons. The pretty pink and white cistus covers the hillsides 

 everywhere, the broom is just coining into flower ; tbe one small open 

 field, the only Hat piece of land about, and now converted into a 

 cemetery, is carpeted with a beautiful pink convolvulus, which 

 no doubt in after years will cover the graves of our comrades. Tbe 

 view from my dug-out is very similar to that looking south from any 

 place on that favoured coast. Beautiful summer weather prevails, with 

 cold nights, and were it not for the perpetual cannonade and musketry 

 one could thoroughly enjoy a ramble over the hills — a joy at present 

 entirely denied us. l^ut 1 am wandering from what I set out to do, 

 and which runs as follows: — "I am writing this at 9.15 a.m. at the 

 bottom of a steep wooded valley sheltered behind a bank covered with 

 heath and holly, alongside me on a stretcher is a desperately wounded 

 man, and close around are the bodies of an oflicer, four men and a 

 mule lying in and beside a muddy stream, which is the only path. All 

 were killed by snipers two days ago, but it has been too dangerous 

 and times have been too strenuous to remove and bury them. The 

 gully here leading up to the firing line beggars description. It is full 

 of old meat and biscuit tins, bo.xes and broken rifles, kit of all sorts, 

 many dead mules and not a few dead men. Testaments and bibles are 



