?20 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [September, 



"This being my first trip on this desert, my time has 

 been taken up with hunting feed and water for the animals 

 and camp use. On more than one occasion I dug for water in 

 what we call tanks — that is a hole in the bed rock of a wash 

 which retains water after rain. After working and shovelling 

 for three or four hours I was fortunate to find water in most 

 places, but sometimes only enough for the stock and three or 

 four gallons to camp on over night, and a twenty-mile drive 

 for water the next day. 



" We (a party of three) were looking for placer gold prin- 

 cipally. Between hunting for gold and water and travelling I 

 was so worn out that I did not capture as many moths as I 

 should have done. 



" The Lepidoptera and many of the Coleoptera are only 

 found on the deserts during certain seasons. I find some 

 species are confined to a small territory, while others are more 

 widely distributed. I also find different species on different 

 elevations. On this trip I have been from an altitude of 264 

 ft. below to 8,000 ft. above sea level. My present camp is 

 about 7,500 ft. above, and is too cold for night flying moths 

 here, as we have a little frost every night. Moths are only 

 attracted to light here during the dark of the moon, as we 

 have no cloudy nights." 



Professor Smith had sent some alcoholic specimens of 

 mosquitoes to Mr. Johnson, who had determined them as 

 ALdes fuscus , but later sending dry specimens to Mr. Johnson, 

 he stated that they were probably a new species, which Mr. 

 Henshaw corroborated. The maturing of these mosquitoes 

 depends very much upon the location of the plants ; those in 

 the shade taking longer than those in the sun, and the larval 

 life seem to last from October to June, which is longer than 

 in other species. Professor Smith thought that the species 

 which breed in the pitcher plants and is only found there does 

 not bite and has but one brood. 



Mr. Laurent exhibited a series of the eggs of Mantis 

 religiosa and Tenodera sinensis, which showed a variety of 

 shapes. 



