83 



Some small flies, very troublesome in some quarters, and called by 

 the natives "botlass" flies, were determined as a species of Simulium; 

 unfortunately, the specimens were too badly injured for study. The 

 bite of this insect is quite painful and leaves a black spot on the skin, 

 surrounded by a reddish circle which lasts for a week or more. 



A species of tick taken from the body of one of the deadly u tom- 

 mygoff" snakes, a species of Lachesis or "bushmaster," quite common 

 in Belize, was identified as belonging to a species of Ophiodes. 



Three spiders were sent and identified as Argyroepeira argyra 

 Walck., Argiope argentata Fab., and Gasteracantha cancriformis 

 Linn. The dorsal surface of the abdomen of the last named when 

 alive is brick red in color, though many individuals are found, seem- 

 ing to an ordinary observer to be of the same species, in which the 

 color is pure white, or sometimes lemon yellow. 



The sending also included specimens of the white ant, Termes sp. 

 (probably m,orio), and a small black ant, very common in Belize, 

 known scientifically as Oryptocerus alfaroi Em. 9 



NOTES FROM THE PHILIPPINES. 



Lieut. Alfred T. Clifton wrote this office April 20, 1900, from mili- 

 taiy station No. 5, Bacolod, Negros. Philippine Islands, transmitting 

 some specimens, with interesting notes. A giant wasp which he sends 

 he states is called in the Philippines "avisar," or take notice, a suffi- 

 ciently suggestive name for an insect of its class. 



At the time of writing grasshoppers were very destructive, ruining 

 the sugar crop in a few hours wherever they stopped. Our corre- 

 spondent had seen great clouds of these creatures, so numerous that 

 they obscured the sun, passing over the town. The natives on haci- 

 endos on such occasions turn out and beat on bamboo and make a 

 racket to frighten them off. 



The grasshoppers are very ravenous — always hungry. In the morn- 

 ing 3^011 can pass a field of young sugar cane a foot high, and when 

 you return that way at noon it will sometimes look as if nothing had 

 ever been planted. Notwithstanding this, these langosta, as they are 

 termed by the inhabitants, are considered a great delicacy, but our 

 correspondent had never had the courage to test this personally. 



It is customary to place obstructions of sections of banana trees on 

 top of the furrows of growing cane, and the locust eats the canes fur- 

 row by furrow, and when he reaches the obstruction, instead of going 

 over it, he hops to the end where a hole has previously been dug, into 

 which he falls. Here the locusts are collected and are then boiled, 

 after removing the legs, heads, and wings. Thus prepared they make 

 a black-looking mess. One haciendero stated to our correspondent 

 that he had shipped a load of locusts to Iloilo, where they were worth 

 $4 a bag. 



The natives believe that the locusts come every seventh year. 



