94 



from Dr. C. W. Stiles, consulting zoologist in charge, Bureau of 

 Animal Industry of this Department, that the species is Mermis albi- 

 cans, Diesing," in each case represented by the female. The creature 

 is not an insect nor a snake, but one of the hair worms of the family 

 Gordiidae. It has been well described by one of our correspondents 

 as a white worm, looking like a piece of basting thread. It is usually 

 found coiled or crawling about in the cabbage in which it is found. 

 Its length when full grown is about 3 inches. This little hair worm 

 has been reported in cabbage, with the usual account of its being 

 injurious and poisonous, from Glades, Clayton, Ga. ; Earleyville, Tracy 

 City, Tenmile Stand, and Greenville, Tenn.; Chester and Tucapau, 

 S. C. ; Shreveport, La., and several other localities from which no 

 specimens were received. 



It is usually stated to be found in the solid part of the head of cab- 

 bage between the leaves. One correspondent says that it is a serpent, 

 a vicious little reptile; others that it develops in stagnant water and 

 transforms from horsehair, a very prevalent opinion among many 

 people. A statistical correspondent of this Department makes men- 

 tion of some current reports in a portion of Tennessee to the effect 

 that a number of people had died from eating cabbage affected by this 

 creature, while others were made very sick. A physician reported 

 that when cabbage infected by the hair worms was eaten that it pro- 

 duced instant death. In one newspaper report this hair worm is stated 

 to have been examined by the State chemist, and found to contain 

 enough poison in it " to kill eight persons. " Another newspaper notice 

 is to the effect that it has seriously injured the demand for cabbage in 

 a number of Georgia cities, causing in the aggregate considerable loss 

 to truckers and farmers. The "snake" was said to have no vertebrae, 

 but it would strike "just as if it were a member of the snake family," 

 and tons of good cabbage were being thrown away on account of its 

 presence. In this case it was light red in color and -i inches long. 

 Crowds assembled to examine specimens and "snakes' 7 was the prin- 

 cipal topic of conversation even after one had traveled a mile or two 

 up on the mountain side. 



This same species was received in a piece of apple which was appar- 

 ently sound. It was found coiled inside near the seed. A related 

 species is known to be parasitic upon the codling moth or "apple 

 worm" (Carpocapsa pomonella), and there is no doubt that the present 

 species has the same habit, from its occurrence, as described. 



One other hair worm {Paragordius varius) was sent, found in the 

 water without visible means of support in Virginia. 



A very large proportion of the hair worms are parasitic on insects. 



« From the studies of Diesing, Meissner, and others, it has been concluded that 

 M. albicans is merely the mature sexual form of acuminata, but the latter name seems 

 to have priority 



