FSYCHE. 



E. D. COPE. AS AN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



nV" C. R. OSTEN SACKEN, HEIDELBERG, GERMANY. 



I have just been reading in the papers 

 the sad news of the death of Prof. E. D. 

 Cope, which occurred in Philadelphia 

 a few days ago, and cannot resist the 

 temptation to add my mite of homage, 

 to the many homages his memory will 

 receive. 



jNIy acquaintance with Professor Cope 

 was onl}' superficial, but although from 

 a distance, I always was an admirer of 

 his genius. 



As a slight memento of him I possess 

 a letter which he wrote me, on an ento- 

 mological question, just 30 years ago. 

 It is so characteristic, especially in the 

 precision and terseness of its expres- 

 sions, that I deem it worth while to 

 communicate an exact copv of it for 

 publication. The subject is the phe- 

 nomenon well-known in Germany under 

 the name of " Heerwurm," produced 

 by the larvae of a flv, scientifically called 

 Sciara. 



Cope was, I believe the first to observe 

 it in the United States, where it has 

 been noticed several times since. 



Heidelberg, Germany, April 18, 1897. 



Acad. Nat. Sciences, Phila. 12, 27, 1S67. 

 J7y esteemed friend, R. v. Ostcn 

 Sackeii, 

 I trouble thee so far as to senil some 

 larvae which I take to be TipuUdeoits, 

 but am not sure. — Will thee have the 

 kindness to refer me to the genus or 

 even the species if that be possible in 

 the present state of our knowledge ; or 

 to correct me if they not be Tipulidae. 

 — I am publishing in the Pr. A. N. S. 

 some observations on their habits, which 

 are singular. They are subterraneous, 

 but migrate. They are however inca- 

 pable of progression on the ground, but 

 use each others backs, the hinder walk- 

 ing over the front, while the latter remain 

 quiescent. They thus form an ever mov- 

 ing stream above and solid mass be- 

 low and seem like a slender slow 

 moving snake. Has such a habit been 

 noticed in any other species, e.g. in 

 Europe.? I have not found it. An early 

 reply will be thankfully receivetl by thy 

 friend in the Nat. Sci. 



Edw. D. Cope, 

 Academy N. Sci. Philada. 



