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The sori are arranged upon the under side of the pinnae, a row or 

 sometimes two rows on either side of the mid-vein, at length cov- 

 ering the entire, under surface of the leaf, from a little above the 

 middle to its summit. 



It was while studying these sori under the microscope that I 

 became aware of the presence of some tiny insects moving busily 

 about among the spores, and last summer, until their disappear- 

 ance at the approach of frost, they were the object of my con- 

 stant observation. They are to be seen again this season on the 

 same ferns, so that their appearance cannot be attributed to 

 chance conditions. Needless to say these mites are invisible under 

 an ordinary magnifying glass, and even under the microscope 

 they seem but ill constructed little beings at most, and their 

 activity renders them most difficult of study. I have observed 

 apparently two forms, one which seems to be the general type 

 both in size and shape, and another much larger and resembling 

 a small beetle armed with crab-like claws. The body of both 

 is greenish white, semi-transparent, with the metallic shadings 

 of a piece of Tyrian glass. In the former type the head is mis- 

 shapen and humpy, the body oval, furnished with 4 pair of legs 

 all having an unjointed. vegetable look. 



Their chief occupation seems to be burrowing under the 

 sporanges and in carrying the spores about. This I have watched 

 them do for several minutes, but although always apparently bent 

 upon the accomplishment of some object. T have never dis- 

 covered precisely what that object is. They pick up the spores, 

 carry them for a short distance, then drop them and pick up 

 others. They are always carried either in the two front feet or 

 the posterior pair, a spore on each foot, elevated above the body, 

 and they move them about like a pair of boxing gloves, which, 

 in fact, they strongly suggest. I have fancied that they may feed 

 upon the pedicels of the sporanges which I have noticed are ab- 

 sent on the pinnae of the leaves upon which I find the insects. 

 However this may be a coincidence. I shall be much interested 

 to learn the name of this particular mite and something more con- 

 cerning it. Can some one give me the desired information? 



I have never found a trace of its presence upon any other 

 species of fern or in fact upon any other plant, although I have 

 searched for it in many likely places. Another rather strange 



