6o The West American ScicnHst. 



A NEW ROSE-GALL. 



A spherical gall, an inch or more in diameter, is very frequent 

 on the wild rose in this neighborhood. (Swift Creek, Custer Co., 

 Colo.) Its surface is somewhat shiny, usually corrugated, 

 in color reddish-yellow vdr3ang to pink and dull purplish. 

 It grows surrounding the ro.se twig, so that it projects beyond 

 and from the middle of the gall. In an old gall, from which 

 most of the insects had escaped, I was fortunate in finding 

 a dead and somewhat imperfect specimen of the imago, which is 

 about three millimeters long, almost black, and shiny, with red- 

 dish legs and somewhat fuscous wings. I sent some of the galls 

 to the Department of Agriculture, and Mr. L. O. Howard in- 

 forms me that they are the product of Rhodites tuberculator 

 Riley, Ms., an undescribed species. ' T. D. A. Cockerell. 



West Cliff, Colo., March 12, 1888. 



A NEW UNIO. 



BY S. HART WRIGHT. 



Unio Orcuttii (Sp. novo). Shell oblong-ovate, inequilateral, 

 not attenuated posteriorly, abruptly jointed behind, and some- 

 times slightly biangulated there, in front evenly rounded, basal 

 margin gradually convex, and often nearly straight, dorsal margin 

 nearly straight, or moderately arched. Epidermis variable, olive- 

 brown, or olive-yellow, or reddish-brown, with many faint green 

 rays in fascicles, and three or four zones of growth, of darker color 

 on the dividing lines. Surface smooth and often shining. Umbo 

 obtuse, depressed, and slightly raised above the dorsum. Um- 

 bonial ridge much depressed and very obtusely rounded. Pos- 

 terior slope depressed, scarcely carinated, descending steeply and 

 in nearly a straight line to the joint, which is carried up to the 

 transverse axis. Cicatrices distinct, well impressed, those of the 

 dorsum are over the umbonial cavity. Cardinal teeth short, 

 erect, summits divaricate, granulate, firm. 



Lateral teeth slightly curved, arising from the cardinal tooth, 

 acicular at extremity, and groove deep. Nacre a livid-white, 

 copper-colored, or brilliant salmon, or purple, and chocolate 

 colored. Cavity of beaks shallow. Habitat, Manatee River and 

 west coast of Florida (C. T. Simpson), and in Lake Miakka, 

 Florida (Dr. W. Newcomb). 



In cabinet of Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, National 

 Museum, and Cornell University. Width 2.35, length 1.5, diam- 

 eter I inch. 



Observations. The affinity of this species is with U. Gedding- 

 sianus, Lea, but is more oval than the latter. It is with pleasure 

 we dedicate this species to Mr. Charles R. Orcutt, a working con- 

 chologist of San Diego, Cal. 



