ZOOLOGY. 437 
CEstrus HOMINIS IN Texas. —I have in my possession a larva 
supposed to be that of Œstrus hominis Gmelin; if it is not, it is 
evidently very closely allied to that. It was taken from an ulcer on 
the shoulder of an eight-year old boy, of our village, on the 15th 
inst., by his mother, and given to the family physician, Dr. M. H. 
Oliver, through whose kindness I was put in possession of it. It 
is a whitish grub, about 4 of an inch in length, somewhat wider 
than thick, the constrictions between the segments are well marked, 
the cephalic hooks and anal stigmata are visible. It has the appear- 
ance of not being fully grown. It is interesting from the fact that, 
according to the ‘American Entomologist,” no fly belonging to this 
family has heretofore been known to attack man within the United 
States. — S. J. Srroor, Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas, January 
22,1873. [Having received Mr. Stroop’s specimen, we may say 
that this is not the larva of Gstrus hominis, but of the sheep bot 
fly (Œstrus ovis), or a closely allied species.—Ebs. ] 
AGRICULTURAL Ants.—Mr. Moggridge has observed at Menton, 
France, two species of ants (Aphenogaster) carrying into their 
nests, during the winter months, the seeds of certain late fruiting 
plants. He has traced their burrows to a spherical chamber filled 
with the seed of a grass which he had seen the ants in the act of 
transporting. ‘+ Outside the channels there was generally a heap 
of the husks of the various seeds, and sometimes one of those 
heaps would fill a quart measure. These husks had had their fari- 
naceous contents extracted through a hole in one side. He pur- 
posely strewed near the nests large quantities of millet and hemp 
seeds. After the lapse of a fortnight many of these seeds, previ- 
ously conveyed into the nests, had been brought out again, they 
. having evidently commenced to germinate, and he then found that 
the radicle was gnawed off from each seed, so as to prevent further 
growth, and, this being effected, the seeds were carried back again. 
Sen coty aR of germinated seeds were removed from the 
est.”— Trans. Entomological Society of London, 1871. 
Meramorrnoses or Burrerriies. — Dr. Burmeister has for- 
warded to Paris a fine series of drawings illustrating the earlier 
Stages of the magnificent South American Morphos and Pavonias ; 
many details of their external anatomy are also represented. They 
will be published in the “ Revue et Magazin de Zoologie” and will 
Supply a great rabies ne in our knowledge of the metamorphoses 
of butterflies 
