976 General Notes. — (September, 
previously mentioned the genus as having possibly been seen on 
cucumbers, but the fact was left in doubt. In the early summer 
of that year a single female was taken by Mr. H. K. Morrison in 
Georgia, but under just what circumstances it was found he did 
not recollect. A notice of this capture was published by Mr. S. 
H. Scudder in the Naruratist (XI. p. 190). Dr. Hagen also re- 
ports two specimens taken at Portland, Oregon, last summer. 
Mr. L. Brunner recently took additional specimens of this minute 
cricket in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., where it was by no 
means rare in the nests of Formica rufa, and a closely related 
species of ant,that lives under the bark of rotten stumps. Of 
those taken one was a full-grown female, and the rest apparently 
immature. Thus far the male of this genus has not been posi- 
tively met with, though we suspect that some of the supposed 
immature individuals are males. In Europe there are two spe- 
cies, of which only the females have been taken. 
r. Bruner will name the species after Mr. Pergande, who has 
often met with it while looking for ants under decayed r 
These facts show that in this country the genus possesses 
same habits as in Europe. 
SALT-WATER INsECTS USED AS Foop.—Mr. Edwin A. Barber, 
of Philadelphia, recently sent us some Diptera, which he received 
rom Professor A. Peñafiel, that were taken from the Lake Ta 
coco in Mexico. They are a species of Ephydra which Dr. Wil- 
liston, to whom we referred the fragments, believes is E. hians Say, 
described from Mexico. Dr. Packard (American Fournal og 
Science and Arts, February, 1871, p. 103-5) describes two s 
of this genus, viz. Æ. californica from Clear lake and Mono ~ 
lake, California, and Æ. gracilis from Great Salt lake, Utah. d 
The insects of this genus are interesting not only by r= 
their inhabiting alkaline and saline waters, but also because t 
n extensive 
article of diet among the Indians of the West and Southwest. 
Professor W. H. Brewer, while working on the geological we 
some interesting notes he has left with Dr. Williston 5 ni 
tious, and not unpleasant to taste. Pulverized and se aar : 
cakes the food reminded Professor Brewer of the patet g else 
e could liken it to. There are no fish or reptiles in the ee : 
and on everything round about it. Itis probable that ehe griat A 
is most washed up by the waves when assuming the p gee 
but countless millions of these Ephydra flies rest on the 
