84 entomological news. [Mar., '07 



man, by the way, came to St. Louis in 1856, when that city 

 was the peer of Chicago and believed to be destined to remain 

 so forever, which is very queer to contemplate for a modern 

 Chicagoan. I had observed that the electric lights in front 

 of the large store windows were hung unusually low, about 

 eight feet, and a great abundance there were. This, I figured, 

 would be favorable for bug hunting. The first clear evening 

 I started out on an expedition and had not walked far before 

 I came across a rather large bug sprawling on its back in its 

 efforts to come on right keel. I had before this learned not 

 to fear any bug (except the electric Belostcma americana), 

 and I therefore unhesitatingly pounced on this one and had 

 him in the bottle in less time than it takes to tell it. I bottled 

 quite a few that evening, and after a tramp of some four or 

 five miles up and down the streets I retired to my hotel and 

 had a night's solid sleep. 



The next morning I was curious to see what, I had found 

 during my initial expedition. There were the common large 

 ground beetles and a number of smaller ones, but there was 

 one with an elegant form and a dark blue border around the 

 elytra. This beetle, the Carabus sylvosus, we do not have in 

 Chicago, at least I have never found it there, and I felt very 

 much encouraged to continue the hunt. Almost every evening 

 I found something new in the way of insects, besides seeing 

 interesting things that ordinarily escape our notice. 



After the day's work in the office I never had to wonder 

 how I would spend the evening. After supper and a perusal 

 of the newspapers I would start out about 8.30 o'clock on my 

 hunt, returning about 10.30 with my "game." This period 

 appeared to be the best, as I seldom found anything before 

 8.30 or after 10.30. The people on the street did not bother 

 me much. Nobody knew me and I did not know anybody. 

 The policemen appeared to be about as scarce in St. Louis 

 as in Chicago, and if they noticed anything queer about my 

 actions they apparently considered me harmless. But one even- 

 ing I very nearly got into trouble. As I walked along I per- 

 ceived on the pavement a moving object in the uncertain light 

 of the reflection from an electric light. "What is that? that is 



