349 
LIVING VEDALIAS AT LAST REACH EGYPT. 
It will be remembered that we have been endeavoring for some time to 
send living Vedalias to Alexandria, Egypt, in order to ascertain whether 
this species will destroy Icerya cegyptiacum, which is doing considera- 
ble damage to the Fig and Orange trees in the gardens of that city. 
Several sendings having failed we have at last been informed by our 
esteemed correspondent, Rear Admiral R. N. Blomfield, R. N., that of 
a lot shipped by Mr. Coquillett from Los Angeles, Cal., and repacked 
in Washington, D. C., about March 6, six adult beetles and several 
larve reached Alexandria alive. They have been liberated upon an 
infested orange tree, but we have not yet been informed as to whether 
they have begun to breed and feed upon the Egyptian Fluted Seale. 
The Vedalia is so uniform in its tastes and we have failed so signally 
to induce it to feed upon anything but Icerya purchasi that there is 
some little doubt as to the success of this experiment. We have never, 
however, tried it upon a congeneric species before, and it may be on 
account of the very close relationship of the Egyptian to the California 
and Australian insect that the Vedalia will find in it appropriate food. 
SELF-MUTILATION IN ORTHOPTERA. 
It has often been observed that many animals, when kept in captivity, 
develop certain unnatural traits. One of these is a tendency to self- 
mutilation—an instinct on the part of the animal which impels it to 
devour the extremities of its own body. 
Dr. Franz Werner, of Vienna, Austria, has recently published* some 
interesting observations in this direction on European Orthoptera. 
From a number of species kept under observation Dr. Werner con- 
cludes that a tendency to self-mutilation does not prevail in the truly 
phytophagous families, such as the Acridiide and Gryllide, but that 
it seems to be confined to the raptatorial species and that it is most 
strongly developed in certain predaceous Locustidz with poorly devel- 
oped wings. In all observations ample nourishment was provided, but 
this did not prevent the specimens from eating first their tarsi, espe- 
cially those of the anterior pairs of legs, then the tibiz, and finally 
the females commenced to eat their own ovipositors. Among the 
species observed the rare Saga serrata excelled all others in its avidity 
to devour its entire legs, while Mantis religiosa was contented with 
chewing up its tarsal joints. Of Barbitistes serricauda Dr. Werner was 
not able to collect perfect examples, for as soon as a captured specimen 
is held between the fingers it bites off its own front legs with great 
rapidity. In most instances the chewing is deliberate and evidently 
without sensation of pain. 
* Zool. Anzeiger, xv, No. 384, Feb. 15, 1892, pp. 58-60. 
