168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



some shorter silvery pubescence. Basal enclosure of middle segment 

 smooth and shining, densely punctured along its base. Scutellum 

 channelled at sides. Apical segment of abdomen dorsally keeled, the 

 keel smooth and shining ; apex produced to a very sharp point, with a 

 small but abrupt notch on each side. Venter with minute close punc- 

 tures. Legs black, hind tibhe with a long apical spine, middle tibiae 

 with a pair of short spines. Anterior tarsi with some short orange- 

 brown pubescence on inner side. Tegulae black, punctured. Wings 

 smoky, a darker shade in the marginal cell ; nervures black, second 

 recurrent nervure reaching second submarginal cell considerably before 

 its apex ; second submarginal cell conspicuously longer than first. 



Hab. Seattle, Washington State, May 11th, 1897, at flowers 

 of Rubus ursinus. Collected by T. Kincaid. 



Mesilla Park, New Mexico, U.S.A. : May 31st, 1898. 



NOTES AND OBSEEVATIONS. 



Tinea vastella. — In ' Nature ' for June 9th last Mr. W. H. 

 McCorquodale states that the horns of some antelope skulls that he 

 received from West Africa were all " infested by singular, thin finger- 

 like protuberances which seemed to grow from the horn." These he at 

 first thought were fungi ; but afterwards found them to be cocoons o 

 Tinea vastella. A sketch of the skull and horns of a harte-beest, with 

 the cocoons in situ, is given, and also separate figures of the cocoons, 

 the latter drawn one-half natural size. Mr. McCorquodale says : — " A 

 very interesting point with regard to the habits of this insect which 

 has not yet been cleared up, but upon which I hope to be able to 

 throw some light through the observations of officers now serving in 

 Africa, is that it has been asserted to feed on the horns of living- 

 animals; and in support of this I will quote the following: — 'Dr. Fitz- 

 gibbon, many years ago, while in Gambia, stated he was surprised at 

 finding grubs enclosed in cases which projected from the horns of 

 animals freshly killed, the blood not being yet dry, the carcases 

 of the animals being exhibited in the market-place.' This statement 

 is recorded in vol. i. of the ' Proceedings ' of the Dublin Zoological 

 Society: — 'In contradiction, Lieut. -Colonel Wenman Coke said he 

 had shot large numbers of various species of horned animals in South 

 Africa, but that he had never seen the horn of a living animal per- 

 forated by one of these larvre, although he had seen many dead horns 

 infested by them. Colonel Coke is most confident that the larva? never 

 attack a living animal ; he says that had this been the case it could not 

 have escaped his observation. Mr. Truman concurs in expressing great 

 doubt as to the correctness of the theory that the larvae feed on the 

 horns of living animals.' We have the strong evidence of Dr. Fitz- 

 gibbon, and might argue that as the fibrous substance of the horn 

 undergoes little or no change at the death of the animal, there seems 

 no reason why the moth should not deposit its eggs when the living 

 animal is at rest, nor why the larvae should not penetrate the horn. I 

 venture to assert as my own opinion, and that of many sportsmen from 



