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Deilephila lineata, Fab. 



A note was made in an article entitled "A Summer Trip to Southern 

 California " concerning the fact that the Mohave Indians feed on the raw 

 larvae of Ddlephila lineata. Mr. W. G. Wright, from whom we received 

 our information, has since sent us an article written by him, and published 

 in the "Overland Monthly Magazine" Sept. 1884. In that article are 

 some remarks bearing on the subjeet, so interesting, that we print them, 

 lie calls attention in the letter that we misrepresented him in saving the 

 larvae were eaten raiu ; and we cheerfully admit the mistake of our 

 memory and insert the correction. What he saw is given in the story of 

 a trip in the desert. "In an hour we come to the caterpillar pasture. 

 The sand is dotted with mats and patches of procumbent plants, much 

 resembling in flower the common garden verbena, Abronia umbellaia, 

 A. viscosa, on which vast armies of caterpillars — the larvae of D. lineata — 

 are feeding; they are huge worms three and four inches long. Another 

 smaller army of Indians — bucks, squaws, and papooses — are out gather- 

 ing them as though they were huckleberries, for use as food. The Indians 

 do not notice us, but go on with their gathering. Seizing a fat worm, they 

 pull off its head, and by a dexterous jerk the viscera are ejected, and the 

 wriggling carcass is put into a small basket or bag, or strung upon 

 strings and hung upon the arm or about the neck, till occasion is found 

 to put them into a large receptacle. I got three of these gathering 

 baskets. One is funnel-shaped, holding a quart or two ; another is like 

 a large, flat saucer, and the third is similar, but with a deep rim. At 

 night these Indians carry their prey home, where they have a great feast. 

 Indians from a long distance come to these worm feasts, and it is a time 

 of great rejoicing among them. I asked one of the young man if these 

 worms made good food ; he replied, "Yes, very good indeed, in stew." 

 Of another old fellow we asked where these worms all came from, and he 

 replied: "From the good God." The larva? that are not consumed at 

 the time (ami they eat incredible quantities), are put upon ground pre- 

 viously heated by a fire, and thoroughly dried, when they are packed 

 away whole, or pulverized into a meal.'' G. I). H. 

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Notes on the Larvae of Arctia Brucei, Hy. Edwards. 

 By David Bruce, Brockport, X. Y. 



I first met with this moth above timber in the Snowy Range, Park 

 Co., Colorado, July 7th ('87) — altitude 12,500 ft. It was sitting on a 

 rock and was a fine female. In the course of the day she laid eggs. A 

 tew days after this I caught a perfect male as it was flying briskly 111 the 

 sunshine. This was at least 13,000 ft. elevation. Arctia Quensellii was not 



