Dec. ie 9 s.] Motter: Study of \ihe Fauna of the Grave. 225 



On dogs buried for five months were found Conicera sp., adult 

 flies and larva;, together with Uropoda sp., identical with that found 

 on dogs after three months' interment, but differing from that found 

 on human cadavers ; and, finally, an Elaterid beetle, Monocrepidius 

 bclhts Say, identical with that found on human cadavers after three 

 years and two months' interment. 



At this point the experimental work with dog cadavers ceased ; 

 first because there was such abundant material from the cemetery, and, 

 secondly, because, according to Dr. Wyatt Johnston's experience, the 

 results would be apt to be more confusing than helpful. Writing of 

 his own observation in this line, Dr. Johnston said: "We were 

 especially struck with the circumstance that Coleoptera which attack 

 the bodies of animals early, i. <?., in a few days, will not attack human 

 bodies unless these have been exposed some months. For this reason 

 we avoided control experiments with dead animals and dead meat, as 

 unreliable and misleading." 



One other line of experimental investigation proved interesting 

 and suggestive, though it was pursued in but two cases. At the sug- 

 gestion of Mr. E. A. Schwarz, we buried in a cemetery, at a depth of 

 three feet, two empty boxes Avhich had been thoroughly cleaned and 

 then closed with a well fitting cover securely nailed on. As it hap- 

 pened, we were enabled to place each of these boxes in a lot adjoining 

 one in which an interment had recently been made, thus approximat- 

 ing, as nearly as might be, the conditions of an actual interment. After 

 two months one of the boxes was taken up and found to contain a 

 young Araneid, Agalena nccvia Htz., several young Acarids of the 

 Gamasid family, many Podurids (Thysanura), an undetermined 

 Psocid, one small beetle, Trichopteryx haldemani Lee, and three 

 Mycetophilid flies, Sciara sp. The second box, which was buried 

 for a little over three months, was not quite so prolific, containing 

 only one Araneid, Theridium. tepidariorum Koch, and a few Podurids 

 and Lepidocyrtus sp. (Thysanura). These small insects were no 

 doubt feeding upon the delicate black fungus with which the boxes 

 had become lined. 



It is highly probable that further experiments in this line might be 

 productive of interesting results. In the last case noted in the above 

 list (No. 150) an empty (?) coffin, exhumed after seven years and 

 three months, contained, among other things, the same beetle, Eleusis 

 pallida Lee, which was found in such great numbers and under such 



