HUNGERFORD: AQUATIC HEMIPTERA. 37 
The gist of the matter appears to be that at the proper season 
bundles of rushes are placed in the shallow lakes and upon 
these the eggs named by the Mexicans ‘‘Axayactl” or water- 
face, are deposited, gathered by the natives and made with 
meal into cakes. These are eaten au natural or with green 
chilis! They are also cooked without further preparation, 
having then the appearance of fish roe, when they are called 
“Auhauhtli”’,or water wheat. They are said to have a delicate 
flavor and not to be disdained at fashionable tables. Kirkaldy 
stated that the dried ova and bugs were being imported into 
England by the ton for food for fishes. 
Aside from these ‘direct benefits” from water bugs, the 
numerous notes, such as “A Ferocious Water Bug’’ and others 
that have appeared from time to time, record isolated bits of 
behavior of value in the final summing up of their status. 
In a study of the biology of this one group of aquatic 
organisms some facts of economic value have been brought to 
view. We have before us now more knowledge concerning the 
place of the water bugs in the complex of this new field of agri- 
culture than before. Pisciculture, an important branch of this 
field, is affected, we find, not only by the killing of the young 
fish by the larger predatory bugs, but by the fact that the 
majority of them are contenders for the same entomostracans 
that make up the bulk of the food supply of young fishes. 
One group of bugs, indeed, themselves afford some possibility 
of providing forage organisms for the fish culturist. This is 
the water boatman, which has been found in the stomach con- 
tents of a number of fishes and which forages on the organic 
ooze, Spirogyra, and other lower organisms of the rool. 
