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Scale Insects from Trinidad. 



Referring to your letter of the 20th instant, I )>eg to observe that by the British 

 steamship Alj)S, which leaves Port of Spain for New York this day, I send you some 

 of the insects you mention, "White Cottony Scale." — [W. P. Pierce, U. S. consul, 

 Trinidad, B. W. I.. February 7, 1891. 



Reply. — The insect known in Trinidad as the White Cottony Scale is probably 

 new to science, and difl'ers decidedly from the scale insects which have this popular 

 name in other portions of the world. It is a species of the genus Orthezia. The 

 branches and leaves also l)ore three other species of bark lice, viz : The form known 

 in Florida as the Purple Scale (J/_(/<«7«s/»s ci7>-/co7«); the Orange Chionaspis {Chion- 

 aspis citri), and a new species of the genus Aspidiofus. Your sending was, in fact, of 

 much greater interest than I had anticipated, and I am greatly indebted to you for 

 your prom^it courtesy. 



A Vegetarian Mosquito. 



A friend of mine, a physician of St. Louis, who is interested in entomology, made 

 a business trip to New York about the end of last August, and there, while taking 

 supper at a restaurant, had occasion to notice at his table a Mosquito which, after 

 hovering around for some time, alighted on a lioiled potato which had been peeled 

 and was still warm. The insect repeatedly plunged its sucker into the tuber, and 

 the act lasted long enough for the proprietor of the place, who had been called by 

 my friend, to also observe it and establish the fact that the Culex was making a vege- 

 tarian repast. It is admitted that country mosquitoes are sometimes obliged to con- 

 tent themselves with the juices of the plants which grow around their haunts, but 

 have those of Gotham become so sybaritic as to appreciate the nutritive qualities of 

 potatoes stripped of their jackets? 



The story was told me by a person whom I have no reason to suspect of telling 

 fairy tales, and I do not think it impossible. If you think the incident will inter- 

 est your readers you might relate it to them, and perhaps other curious observations 

 of a similar nature will be reported by others. — [Emile J. Longuemars, Missouri, Sep- 

 tember 21, 1891. 



Reply. — We are obliged to you for the account of the Mosquito which ate boiled 

 potatoes. As you say, the statement that country mosquitoes sometimes feed upon 

 vegetable juices is well understood, but it is always supposed that they prefer ani- 

 mal blood; consequently, that the New York individual should ignore the numerous 

 sanguinary opportunities about him and should partake of such a civilized meal is 

 certainly exceptional. Many insects which annoy man normally feed on vegetable 

 juices.— [September 24, 1891.] 



Gregarious " Snake-'wrorins." 



About fifteen years ago, while rambling on a farm, I found a peculiar, rope-like 

 something. I first thought it a strange sort of snake ; but upon close observation I 

 found it to be composed of leaden-colored worms about one-fourth of an inch long, 

 and about as large in body as a pin. Those in the lead were moving in unison, but so 

 slowly that the motion was not much more than perceptible. None of the worms 

 would go in one division that belonged in either of the other divisions ; then those 

 divisions of minor rank would retract and fall in with the main body. I have t(dd 

 my story to difterent persons, and Avas laughed at on account of it. One morning 

 several years ago I found a similar sight, and went on to the schoolhctuse where I was 

 then teaching, got six or eight of my scholars, took them to the spot, and showed the 

 strange sight to them. My friend Mr. Munger tells me he saw a like sight once. On 

 each occasion the rojje of worms was about half as large as a man's little finger, di- 

 minishing in size toward the higher extremity, and was about fifteen inches in length. 

 My question may seem quite simple to a specialist, but I have never found an ex- 



