oct. 4, 1923 SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 375 
C. C. Hamiuton: Biology of tiger beetles. (Illustrated by charts.) This 
paper will be ready for publication shortly as an extended article treating 
of the morphology, classification, and biology of the known tiger-beetle 
larvae of America and Europe. The biological information has been 
derived principally from Shelford’s and Griddle’s published works and Shel- 
ford’s unpublished notes. Very little is known regarding the habits of this 
interesting group other than those of the genus Cicindela. The part on 
classification deals with the genera Cicindela, Tetracha, Omus, and Ambly- 
chila, all occurring in the United States, and the genera Cicindela and 
Tetracha from Europe, the genus Collyris from the West Indies, and the genus 
Ctenostema from Central America. In all, the larvae of about fifty different 
species were studied. The larvae have good morphological characters for 
separating the genera, and most of the specific characters are definite. 
(Author’s abstract.) 
Dr. CLEVELAND, of The Johns Hopkins University: Intestinal protozoa of 
termites from a physiological standpoint. He spoke of the wood-feeding term- 
ites and their intestinal protozoa with regard to the relation of the protozoa 
to the host. By incubation the protozoa were separated from the termite 
hosts. Some of the termites were much more difficult to keep alive than 
others. It was thought that the cause for some dying so easily was due to 
removing the protozoa. By replacing the protozoa the termites did not die 
as rapidly but lived over three or four months, while those from which the 
protozoa had been removed died in ten to twenty days. 
Mr. Hysuop: The Coleopterous family, Plastoceridae. (Illustrated.) This 
family, erected by Otto Schwarz (1906) to include the genera referred to by 
Candeze (1863) in his Elaterid tribe, Campylides, was found to contain a 
heterogeneous group of genera, so that it is inadvisable to consider further 
this family as valid. The type genus Octonodes Candeze (Plastocerus Lec. 
not Schaum) is based upon insects which recent larval studies have shown to 
be typical Cebrionids, while the genus Lepturoides Hbst. (Campylus Fitch.) 
is a typical Elaterid, closely related to the genus Athous. The genus Vestodes 
Lec., also included in this family, is of very doubtful position. The many 
exotic genera in the family present characters in the adults that make it 
difficult to consider them associated as a well defined family, and further 
larval studies will, undoubtedly, place many of them in other well recognized 
families. The specimens which led to this discussion were collected by W. B. 
Turner of the Office of Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations’ Field Labora- 
tory at Sacramento, California. 
Cuas. T. GREENE, Recording Secretary. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 
A cablegram received from Kuling, Kiangsi Province, China, states that 
CHarRLEs M. Hoy died from appendicitis on September 8. Mr. Hoy had been 
in China since the first of the year, collecting mammals for the National 
Museum. From the time of his arrival he had experienced innumerable 
hardships, due to heavy rains, intense heat, stinging caterpillars, and 
accidentally shooting himself in the leg last July. 
Letters recently received from Dr. A. S. Hircuock, of the Department of 
Agriculture, report that good progress is being made in collecting botanical 
specimens in Ecuador. In the first part of August ten days were spent in 
the vicinity of Tuledn, much collecting being done on the high paramos. 
