﻿[7J 
  On 
  Mermis 
  acuminata. 
  U9 
  

  

  Upon 
  submitting 
  the 
  specimen 
  with 
  which 
  you. 
  favored 
  us, 
  

   to 
  microscopic 
  examination, 
  it 
  was 
  seen 
  to 
  differ 
  in 
  its 
  internal 
  

   structure 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  more 
  pointed 
  extremities, 
  from 
  the 
  species 
  

   of 
  the 
  genus 
  Gordius 
  above 
  referred 
  to. 
  As 
  these 
  forms 
  have 
  

   been 
  so 
  little 
  studied 
  and 
  so 
  little 
  is 
  known 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  the'm, 
  

   it 
  was 
  deemed 
  proper 
  before 
  naming 
  it 
  for 
  you 
  in 
  accordance 
  

   with 
  your 
  request, 
  to 
  submit 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  eminent 
  authority, 
  Dr. 
  

   Leidy 
  of 
  Philadelphia, 
  who 
  has 
  given 
  special 
  study 
  to 
  the 
  

   Entozoa. 
  Having 
  examined 
  it, 
  he 
  returns 
  the 
  following 
  very 
  

   interesting 
  information 
  : 
  "The 
  worm 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  Mermis, 
  

   a 
  parasite 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  Carpoeapsa 
  pomonella, 
  or 
  apple- 
  

   worm 
  moth, 
  which 
  accounts 
  for 
  its 
  presence 
  in 
  the 
  apple 
  itself. 
  

   A 
  similar 
  specimen 
  was 
  referred 
  to 
  me 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  since, 
  for 
  

   an 
  account 
  of 
  which 
  see 
  the 
  next 
  or 
  forthcoming 
  number 
  of 
  

   the 
  Proceedings 
  of 
  the 
  Academy 
  of 
  Natural 
  Sciences 
  [Phila- 
  

   delphia]. 
  " 
  

  

  Mermis 
  is 
  a 
  genus 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  Gordius. 
  Leidy 
  states 
  

   that 
  he 
  has 
  frequently 
  seen 
  specimens 
  .of 
  it, 
  which 
  he 
  calls 
  

   "the 
  white 
  hair-worm," 
  within 
  insects 
  — 
  in 
  one 
  instance 
  crawl- 
  

   ing 
  out 
  of 
  a 
  Carolina 
  grasshopper 
  which 
  was 
  struggling 
  in 
  a 
  

   ditch. 
  Siebold 
  describes 
  Mermis 
  albicans 
  of 
  Europe 
  (two 
  to 
  

   five 
  inches 
  long, 
  of 
  a 
  whitish 
  color) 
  as 
  parasitic 
  in 
  the 
  drones 
  

   of 
  the 
  honey-bee. 
  

  

  This 
  new 
  phase 
  of 
  parasitism 
  of 
  the 
  Mermis 
  upon 
  a 
  cater- 
  

   pillar 
  living 
  within 
  the 
  apple, 
  at 
  its 
  core, 
  and 
  often 
  in 
  its 
  

   younger 
  stage 
  within 
  the 
  seeds, 
  is 
  so 
  remarkable 
  and 
  interest- 
  

   ing 
  an 
  announcement, 
  that 
  we 
  shall 
  anxiously 
  await 
  the 
  

   promised 
  paper, 
  for 
  the 
  explanation 
  of 
  much 
  that 
  seems 
  

   mysterious 
  to 
  us. 
  In 
  what 
  manner, 
  and 
  at 
  what 
  time, 
  does 
  

   the 
  Mermis 
  effect 
  its 
  entrance 
  in 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  Oarpo- 
  

   capsa 
  apple- 
  worm 
  % 
  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  apple- 
  moth 
  are 
  depos- 
  

   ited 
  on 
  the 
  blossom 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  apple, 
  where 
  the 
  skin 
  is 
  the 
  

   thinnest, 
  at 
  various 
  periods 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  months. 
  

   Hatching 
  within 
  a 
  week, 
  the 
  young 
  caterpillar 
  passes 
  directly 
  

   into 
  the 
  apple, 
  eating 
  its 
  channel 
  as 
  it 
  proceeds 
  toward 
  the 
  

   core.. 
  Here 
  it 
  remains 
  until 
  it 
  has 
  completed 
  its 
  growth, 
  when 
  

   emerging 
  from 
  the 
  apple 
  it 
  crawls 
  down 
  the 
  branches, 
  or 
  

   drops 
  itself 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  by 
  its 
  thread, 
  to 
  seek 
  some 
  safe 
  

   place 
  of 
  shelter 
  in 
  which 
  to 
  construct 
  its 
  cocoon. 
  At 
  this 
  time 
  

   and 
  even 
  during 
  its 
  subsequent 
  hybernation 
  in 
  its 
  larval 
  form 
  

   within 
  its 
  cocoon, 
  it 
  is 
  exposed 
  to 
  parasitic 
  attack 
  ; 
  but 
  this 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  Mermis, 
  for 
  its 
  

  

  