578 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



affected by the advance of civilization upon him ? Have the " deserted towns " 

 of this animal become such owing to a desire to shun observation and molestation 

 by man, or were the migrations which they record induced by desire for better 

 forage grounds, or by other causes? Items of information tending to shed light 

 upon the distribution, increase, or extermination, habits, and economic relations 

 of this and other species of the animals of Kansas are greatly desired. For some 

 of our species the historical material must be gathered at once, or it will never 

 be fully known. With birds, as already intimated, the survey is not concerned. 



In Reptiles, perhaps the most interesting discovery is that of a second species 

 of Green Snake, the slender Green Snake, Cyclophis cestivus, an austroriparian 

 species, collected by Col. N. S. Goss, at Neosho Falls. Kansas is doubtless the 

 northern limit of this bright-hued, active, southern serpent. 



Of Fishes the survey has made considerable collections, mainly of smaller 

 forms. Three species new to science have already been described in its reports,, 

 and the pretty little Zebra Fish of the Rio Grande River, known until recently 

 by Girard's imperfect description only, has been re-discovered and fully described 

 from material sent from Ellis, Kansas, by Dr. L. Watson. The Zebra-Fish has 

 since proved to be one of th^ commonest fishes of western Kansas, scores having 

 been taken from a little stream near Garden City by the writer in two days' col- 

 lecting last August. The Lamprey Eel of Kansas, parasitic on the Buffalo-Fish, 

 etc., proves to be usually the Chestnut Lamprey, and the material collected tends 

 to confirm the suspicion expressed by Jordan and Gilbert in their "Synopsis of 

 Fishes of North America " that this and the Silvery Lamprey may be only varie- 

 ties of one and the same species. 



In Insects, the survey has paid attention to only the order of Locusts, in- 

 cluding the grass-hoppers, locusts, crickets, and " devil's horses." Collections 

 have been secured in eastern, central and western Kansas and a report on these 

 will appear in Washburn Bulletin No. j. 



A few Spiders, Centipedes, and Scorpions have also been collected and in 

 part determined. Of the first, the great " Bird Spider of Texas," sent us from. 

 Chautauqua County, by Mr. Charles Hosford, is the most noticeable ; and of the 

 second, the long-legged Forceps — centipede, or " Carpet Sweeper " {Cermatta 

 forceps), from several localities, is quite a unique. 



The collection of fresh-water Crustacea is considerable, but is yet to be 

 studied. 



In Mollusks, the survey has collected about fifty species of river- and pond- 

 bivalves, some three-fourths of which have been named, and about thirty species 

 of land and fresh-water snails, mostly determined. 



In Worms, little has been done; but a most interesting discovery is that of a 

 still unpublished species of fresh-water Polyzoan, common in our creeks, and the 

 first, apparently, recorded from the plains. It is a branching form, a Fredericella, 

 and its graceful resupinate sprays grow upon submerged stones and mussel-shells. 

 The short, stout Hair-Worm, Gordius robustus, has been found in Waubaunsee 

 County, and one or two other species have been collected but not determined. 



