184 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, *I5 



Linguatula serrata (larva) in a Native Central American. 

 (Arachnida). 



Two cases of infection by linguatulids have been observed at Ancon 

 Hospital during the past six years and while the condition is not un- 

 commonly met with at autopsy in Europe, and while infections by other 

 representatives of the Linguatulidae — Porocephalus armillatus and 

 moniliformis, have been reported from Africa and Asia, the literature 

 appears to afford no example of an infection by Linguatula in a native 

 of America. 



In the case reported here a post-mortem examination was being held 

 on the body of Leonidas, T., aged 2^, a native of Nicaragua. He had 

 been in Guatemala fourteen months ago, where he lost an arm during 

 one of the revolutions there. It can not be ascertained with accuracy 

 how long he had been in the Canal Zone, for he was not an employee. 

 He entered the hospital at Paraiso and had evidently been on the trails 

 for a couple of days (Dr. Preston). The patient was transferred to 

 Ancon Hospital, August 29, 1911, and died September 15, 1911. During 

 the autopsy, immediately after the lungs had been removed and excised, 

 a larva was found crawling over the cut surface and along the pleura. 

 As this was the only larva found, its exact location during the life of 

 the patient is not known. The larva, no doubt, while parasitic, was 

 harmless, and played no part whatever in the cause of death, which 

 was cirrhosis of the liver. 



The larva was active and crawled about very much like a fly larva. 

 Its activity was retained after being five to six hours in a saline solu- 

 tion under a cover slip. Its color was white, becoming grayish and 

 translucent when mounted temporarily under a cover slip with saline 

 solution. Its body was 6.5 mm. long; its greatest width 1.52 mm.; it 

 was flattened and tapered to an obtuse point posteriorly. It was en- 

 circled transversely by alternate rows of pores and retrorse, colorless, 

 chitinous spines. — [Further description is given.] 



In 1905, one of us (S. T. D.) saw a larva very much like the one 

 just described. The specimen was seen in a film preparation from a 

 stool. It is believed the patient was a white man, either a native of or long 

 resident in Central America.— Dr. S. T. Darling and Dr. H. C. Clark 

 in Proceedings of the Canal Zone Medical Association, Vol. IV, pt. II, 

 pp. 11-14. Date of publication not given. 



Identification of Specimens. 

 The following desire to be added to the list of those wiUing to 

 determine material from North America in their respective groups. 

 (See this volume of the News, pages 33, 35, 85 and 133 for further 

 information and for directions for sending specimens.) 



Coleoptera.— CVrom&j»ctdoe : W. S. Fisher, 1337 Parkwood Place, 

 N. W., Washington, D. C. ; Certain families: C. A. Frost, 26 Pond 

 Street, Framingham, Mass. 



