so He ew yi aes: =~ 
Se ae 


‘ é p AM eh AG Nad Wl St Tim A na Aiea TO EO ae 

Se oe a ie ere : . met A te ag op — a hee one Vy ni 
(ae aed * b “ . 7 SS AO Phere 

Ake es : E. ~ 


oan ge wit Pee 


ae Ey 
PION wo 


ae. 


ss --— Soe —— -S ~ e ~. 


FTWAALINGL DL SONIN 


OINOLNY LYOd 


C 
AVG OLLONNY 


V~OIVWYT 


2 ” or $Z o@ $/ or 
S77/N FLNivsAS #0 3779S 
9 
— GNOd  8OLV9ITTV 
: SAIN $SOw 
tl 
Hse IM 
, e 3 
é 
JLW9 TIOL 
é e : 
L WSINVES SYILLNI aw Nowe 
ge « 
\S sis Sruz0NWN 3AOD SLL09S 
\ 29 VANS 
viva 9 4% @ m7 
NOLMIN, 
way Pow 7Va i> 41099") 


yun v7 VNNVWAYS 


‘Y ONIevOY BB cc 2 
ATIND NOFA, NMOL NOSHOVT 


sore ron ) © nmoL sere b B. 
3S 


eye AVG = O09F7LNON 


ALNOW TV4 


4 


UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY 
NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 


NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
FREER GALLERY OF ART 
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES 


SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 


ALL CORRESPONDENCE 


SHOULD BE ADDRESSED Washington, €SA. 
TO THE SECRETARY ~ ’ 


January, 1937 


Friends and Correspondents 


of the Smithsonian Institution: 


The bearer of this letter, Dr. E. A. Chapin is 
Curator of Insects on the staff of the United States 
National Museum. 

Dr. Chapin is visiting Jamaica in pursuance of his 
official duties and the Smithsonian Institution will 
greatly appreciate any wud tanies or facilities which 


‘may be extended to him in this connection. 


fe 


ecretary 


Very truly yours 


Jane 


Jane 


Cuba and Jamaica - 1937. 


2l- 24. On board the United Fruit boat "Quirigua",. 
Left New York just after noon, in slight fog. Found 
stateroom and roommate who is John McKeown, Winnetka, 
Tll., a civil engineer (Univ. of Illinois, 1915). He 
was an aviator in the last war and lost leg in crash 
in France. Usual occupational facilities available,- 
shuffleboard, deck quoits, putting, table tennis, 
walking, sitting on deck, etc, 

The gulls which have followed us from New York 
left our boat sometime during the night of the 22nd. _ 
On the 23rd much Sargasso weed was visible, occurring | 
in large brown patches, some of which seemed to be as 
much as a hundred feet across. Flying fishes were 
also becoming common but were somewhat of a disappoint- 
ment because of their small size, the larger ones | 
being hardly more than a foot long. They volplane for 
considerable distances and occasionally appear to run 
up a wave for a new take-off after making a long 
initial flight. 


24. Docked at Habana at exactly 6 PM. Dr. Aguayo, 
whom I had already met in Washington, came aboard with 
the immigration authority. As soon as I received a 
permit to land, we went ashore where we found S. C. 
Bruner and Le C. Scaramuzza waiting. The four of us 
went first to “Sloppy Joe's" for Daiquiri cocktails, 
the a short sightseeing trip about Habana. Aguayo 
chartered a ford, which is Cuban for taxi, to take 
us along Prado and out El Malacon as far as Vedado 
and then back to the restaurant "El Patio", facing 
on the Prado, for dinner. El Malecon is a very beau- 
tiful boulevard or shore drive. It extends from La 
Punta, which is the point of land extending toward 
El Morro, west along the shore to beyond Vedado, in 
all several miles. From La Punta in toward the center 
of the city runs El Prado, a beautiful avenue with a 
magnificent shaded terrace which divides the two lanes 
of traffic. At the head of Prado stands the ornate 
Capitolio, the seat of the Cuban government. 

Dinner at El Patio was excellent and bountiful; 
I had fruit cup, soup, fish, steak, salad and coffee. 
By the end of the salad course there was no room left 
for the dessert, so it was omitted. It was 9.40 PM 
when we left the table and we immediately started by 
ford to call on Alex. Bierig, in Vedado. We found him 
in and talked about beetles, especially Staphylinidae, — 
until nearly midnight. Bierig is an artist and E 


pki ity ee 


——— = a 
J ~ et 


7 ied *2> oe an ~ = Ts ow = 
i = ~ ~~)... 3 ae 
Ee eee 
a oe > ie a ee = 


ee + ie a 
i ae -. te ~ 


El Morro, at entrance of Habana harbor. 


1074 (9-32) 


( 
o , UNITED FRUIT COMPANY 


TARJETA DE IDENTIFICACION DE PASAJERO DE TRANSITO POR CUBA 
IDENTIFICATION CARD OF PASSENGER IN TRANSIT THROUGH CUBA 


Nombre del pasajero............. TNR |: SAINT eo coat esol os lscl culls aaa 
Name of passenger ‘anh 

my het Eo | ey A Re ai ii ‘ + y 3 . 
Nacionalidad............... A WIE LES AAS Nombre del Vapor........... ys te Ramen 
Nationality Name of Steamer 
Manifiesto No................- 1 Aa ROO eae pee A doe Partida No..............00.0- 9 ATE De 
Manifest No. Line No. mm > 

NEW YOR! 


Puerto de procedencia del Pasajero. oo... ccccccececseneeeeee erste es ensteeesensecssteeneeseraeesensenseneerey 
Port of origin of the passenger 


AVISO: Esta tarjeta solamente es valida mientras el barco esté en puerto, si zarpase dejando el 


pasajero en tierra, deber& presentarse inmediatamente en las Oficinas de Inmigracion. 


NOTICE: This card is only valid while the ship isin port. _If ship sails leaving the holder psc should 
be presented immediately to the Immigration Office. 


JAN 94 1937 rowe™ 


Firma del pasaj ey a mn Aeveert Bi Aereey pr 7 ; 


senger’s signature Purser 


Permit to go ashore while boat is in port. 


Jane 


iN 


3 


amateur entomologist. The walls of his apartment were 
crowded with oil paintings, most of which were very 
pleasing to me. Landscapes and farming scenes were the 
most common subjects depicted. Bierig's collection 

was large, was housed in well over a hundred schmitt 
boxes and was reasonably completely identified. However, 
I noted that certain easy species in Oxyporus were mis- 


identified and therefore I would not be too ready to 


accept Bierig's identifications of old species. 


25 At 8.30 AM, Scaramuzza, Malberti and Navarrete 

came onto the boat and found me finishing my breakfast. 
The coffee.that I had consumed the previous evening 

had prevented me from sleeping until nearly four this 
morning and I was still a bit groggy. Senor Malberti 
came from the Secretariat of Agriculture and was attached 
to me because I had expressed a wish to visit the agri- 
cultural station at Santiago de las Vegas. Senor Navarret 
came from the Secretariat of Education and was attached 
to me because I wished to see the Gundlach collection, 
now under the care of that office. A car and chauffeur 
had been placed at my disposal for the duration of my 
stay in Cuba by the Secretary of Education. We went 
first to the Instituto de la Habana where the Gundlach 
collection is housed. The Institute has been closed 

for four years and the doors leading into the collection 
room were sealed. Bruner joined us and after some delay 
the proper official, escorted by a squad of policemen, 
arrived to break the seals and let us in. Although the 
building itself has been closed, the patio has been used 
by the Secretariat of Justice for use in registration 

of aliens and other purposes. As the boxes which hold 
the Gundlach collection are individually sealed, the 
examination of a specimen must be made through the glass 
top of the box at a distance of about two inches. Two 
hours was sufficient to go over the Scarabaeidae and I 
consider the time well spent. Among the specimens of 


Ligyrus tumulosus I noted a single specimen of the new 


speciesof Dynastine from Oriente Province. It seems to 
be the same sex as mine and therefore no special impor- 
tance to me. Bruner had been checking on some of the 
Hemiptera during this time and was now ready to go. 
After a very good luncheon at a restaurant not far 
from El Capitolio, we were driven to the University of 
Havana to call on Dr Aguayo and to see his collections 
and the layout of his department. We also saw some of 
the construction work on the new Zoology building. A 
Representative of the Press took photographs of our 


Left to right ; 

Dr. Ce G Aguayo, Professor of Zoology, Universidad 

de la Habana. 

Mr. S. C. Bruner, Chief of the Section of Entomology, 

Estacidén Experimental. Agronomica de 
Cuba at Santiago de las Vegas. 
Ee Ae Co 

Mr. G Navarrete, Inspector Técnico de la Secretarfa 

de Educacién, Habana. 

Mr. Le C. Scaramuzza, Assistant Entomologist, Estacidén 
Experimental Agronomica de Cuba, 
at Santiago de las Vegas. 

Mr. S. Veldsquez, 


Photo by press photographer at the University, Jan. 25, 1937. 


party at the side of the steps of the present Zoology 
building. a 

After this short visit to the university, we started 
out into the country to go to Santiago de las Vegas, 
where the Estacién Experimental Agronomica de Cuba is 
located. The station building was originally a Spanish 
military barracks and after the war it was reroofed and 
refloored and turned over to the Department of Agricul- 
ture. It is a huge square building containing or sur- 
rounding a large square patio which is used for an 
arboretum of palm species. Other species of palms are 
found outside of the building and the avenue of Royal 
Palms which leads from the main road to the entrance 
of the station is excellent. | 

Within the building the station staff have very 
Spacious quarters, I would guess close to 600 sq. ft. 
per person. The collection is housed in schmitt boxes 
stored in Brock cases. I went over the material in © 
Scarabaeidae, Tenebrionidae and Coccinellidae. Made 
a few identifications of species that I was sure of 
and pinned out a few things to be sent to me in Wash- 
ington when I get back. 

Scaramuzza took me outside so that I could see the 
rearing cages where the station work on pests is mostly _ 
carried on. Sugar, pineapples and bananas seem to be 
the most important crops though I think coconuts rate 
high. In one small cage Scara had a pet mongoose that 
was fed on small lizards (of which there is no scarcity 
in Cuba). A mongoose looks like and is about the same 
size as a weasel, to which it is remotely related. 
The animal was brought into the West Indies to control 
the rats in the cane fields and coconut walks. There 
are still rats on the islands where the mongoose has 
been introduced but the native ground fauna, composed 
of species less shrewd than rats, has suffered severely. 
It is only a question of a few years before some of 
the species of lizards and birds are exterminated. 

On the way back we ran into a sudden shower that 
caused the pavements to become very slippery. Our 
driver took us through very carefully but we did see 
an Agriculture Department station wagon crashed in the 
ditch. All occupants had been taken to the hospital. 

We drove straight to the Secretariat but could get no 
news as to the present condition of the victims. From 
the Secretariat we drove to the dock where I made my 
good-byes to Bruner and Scaramuzzs. We sailed from 
Havana at 7 PM bound for Kingston, Jamaica. 


Estacién Experimental Agronomica de Cuba, Santiago de 
las Vegas. 


Avenue of Royal Palms (Roystonia regia) leading to 
entrance of station building. 


n heed sh de utdilay 


bs 
Werte s*“ 


7 


Jan. 27. When I went on deck at 7 AM I found that we were 

off the south coast of Jamaica, somewhere west of Kingston. 

A small town, probably Black River though possibly Savanna- 
La-Mar, was in sight. The prospect was anything but pleasant. 
The hills were burned brown and only the occasional coconut 

or banana walk showed green. It was hard to believe that there 
would be any good collecting on the island if this was a fair 
sample of the conditions. About 1 PM we came about to enter 
Kingston harbor, the quarantine boat met us and the pilot came 
on board. I noticed my first pelicans, one on each spile in 
the channel. We docked at 3 PM and Dick and Ruth were there 
to greet me. Baggage was passed without question, a represen- 
tative of the Gleaner asked me for a story, the three of us 
were photographed and the formalities were over. Dick had a 
car already hired from Masterfon and we loaded the baggage in 
and started to Mrs. Wooler's at 5 Cargill Ave., Half Way Tree. 
Dick and Ruth have the large front room (at the left of the 
sitting porch), just behind them is the bath and I have a 
smaller room just beyond the bath. Mrs. Wooler is very pleas- 
ant. She has been recently widowed and is continuing living 
in Jamaica at the earnest requests of the children. Eleanor 

is the oldest, she has taken a place in the Jamaica Automobile 
Association which certainly supports herself; Hazel, younger 
than Eleanor and perhaps younger than Boydie, has a small 
position in Kingston; Boydie, the older boy about 17 yrs. old 
is head of the house and has a job and finally Mannie, about 
thirteen, is still in school but will have to stop and find 
work soon. Mr Nethersole, in the Jamaica Life Assurance Soce- 
iety, has promised help in finding some for him. Mrs. Wooler 
takes PG s, (paying guests) and will undoubtedly have no trouble 
in keeping the house full. I am paying three guineas a week 


y 
Z 
ee ee ee - a “ eee ene inane 


———————— ee ee 


8 


for the room and four meals. Tea certainly should 
count as a meal for there are almost alweys sand- 
wiches, cake and tea, We put my baggage away and 
tea was served. 

After tea, I remembered that I had forgotten to 
leave my stateroom key so we drove down to the dock 
with it. Then out to Hope Gardens to call on Edwards. 
Found him busy so we looked around a bit and then went 
back to the Wooler's. A very good dinner was served 
at 7.50 PM and afterward we all sat on the front porch 
and talked until 11.30 PM. To bed under a mosquito bar. 
It does not pay to screen houses on the island because 
the air is mostly damp and salt. So each bed is fitted 
with its own protective screen. To make the screen, one 
takes a good sized barrel hoop and attaches short ropes 
at the ends of the right diagonals. Then a sheet of mos- 
quito netting is prepared about 25 ft. long by 7 ft. wide. 
The 25 ft. length is then attached to the hoop with many 
deep pleats so that it passes one and a half times around 
The hoop is closed by a circle of cloth, the ropes are 
drawn up and tied to serve as a support and the whole 
contraption is suspended above the center of the bed, 
When the bed is madeup, the bottom edge of the mosquito 
net is tucked in under the mattress arid there is a three 
foot overlap along one side through which the occupant 
can enter. Properly adjusted, it certainly does keep 
the skeeters out. 


The lawn at Hope Gardens, looking toward the admin- 
istration building. The roadway is at the right and 
is bordered by palms of various species, Other spec- 
imen trees are planted along the outer border. 


9 


Jan. 28 First went into town 

to get some money changed into 
English and to make a few pur- 
chases. Ordered a light suit 

for social purposes, was meas- 
ured and will have my first fite 
ting tomorrow. Also bought. a 
Wostenholm IXL pocket knife, a 
helmet and a dozen pony glasses 
for traps. Next we ran up to 
Hope Gardens where we collected 

a few spiders and other things. 
Sweeping didn't seem very good, 
everything too dry. So we went 
over to the Entomologist's Office 
to meet Mr W. He Edwards. He has 
a single large room on the main ~ 
floor of the building and perhaps 
some space on the floor above. 
Very little equipment and one 
assistant, a Mr Dixon. Edwards 
was the Government Entomologist 
on Mauritius before he came to 
Jamaica, apparently to follow 

C. Co. Gowdey. Edwards proved to 
be very pleasant and promised as 
much help as he would be allowed to give. He then took us 

in to meet the Director of Agriculture. The Director is cer~ 
tainly the original Pain-in-the-Neck. He stood up to re- 
ceive us (quite properly but he didn't neet to be so formal 
about it) and hoped that we would have a pleasant and profit- 
able sojourn on the island; that we would realize that his 
men were very busy =. " 
and should not be 
disturbed too much 
We assured him 
that we did not SS 
wish to be bother- ——— 
some and would not — 
ask for any favors 
except in case of 
dire necessity. We 
left and when we 

got outside, Edwards 
apologised for the 
old fool and said 

he would help us all 
that he possibly 
could. He then in- 
vited us to take ai 
cocktails at his 

home the following Entomology Laboratory 


We He Edwards 


10 


Sunday at 5.50 PM. We drove around the grounds ~ 
a bit before starting back to town. Dick called 
my attention to the aquaduct which carries water 
from Hope River for use in the Gardens. It was 
first constructed by the Spaniards and has stood 
the years so well that it was necessary only to 
top it with a concrete trough to make it quite 
serviceable. The water stream is about 18 inches 


=, 


_— 
~ - - 


nes %," aan tg —— ~ Ne 
= > 4 - 2 . - 
. wae a = at ge - oy st 
~<a a ae a 
= ‘ én = -_ *, =~ * * = ? ‘ bh 
. = en E : a pg ee AS 
, : ~'a dust Pee > ae 
= * i ro y 


~ 
- 


Old Spanish aquaduct still in use at Hope Gardens. 


wide and 6 to 8 inches deep. It flows very swiftly 
and must pass a large quantity of water in 24 hours. 

On our way back to town we were caught in the 
worst storm of the season. The rain came down so hard 
that the road filled above the curbs in spite of the 
storm sewers. The rain lasted for just a few minutes 
and we then took the car to Masterton to have the 
plugs dried. After dinner we went out with flash 
light and took a good series of cricket, some Black 
Widows, a few specimens of an ant (Cryptocerus sp.) 
which were running up and down the trunk of a Lignum 
Vitae. The shade trees along Cargill Ave. are mostly 
Lignum Vitaes and are very beautiful. They flower 
branch by branch, rather than all over at once; the 
flowers are about an inch across, pale bluish laven- 
der with orange center, and with not much odor. 
Lignum Vitae honey is well spoken of; we did not have 
any. One of the trees in the side yard was dying and 
Boydie cut off one of the larger branches so that I 
could have an 18 in. section to take home. 


ll 


Jan. 29. First thing in the morning had a fitting at 
Nathan's; can have suit tomorrow. Back to the house 
and while Dick worked over some of the notes, I took 
a sweeping net and worked over the row of Gunga pea 
vines. Gunga pea seems to be one of the ever-bearing 
varieties of legume and the peas resemble Black-eyed 
rather than Green. Very little to be found except 
one species of thrips that was very abundant in the 
flowers. After luncheon Dick and I went to Ferry R. 
(Fresh R. on map) for our first real collecting. 
Started to tear bark off a standing dead tree about 
three feet in diameter and got a surprise. Six or 
eight roaches, each about three inches long, flew out 
as soon as the bark was disturbed. On the trunk under 
the bark was a scorpion perhaps two and a half inches 
long and a couple of villainous looking but harmless 
tailless whip scorpions. Also a few beetles. I don't 
put my bare fingers under loose bark any more. Saw 
many pseudoscorpions but most of them got away before 
I could get at them. Found some recent dung in road 
and dug out a good series of Oniticellus cubiensis 
(Cast. ) and some Aphodiinae. Sifting was not good as 
the top soil and forest floor are completely dried out. 
Set some traps baited with molasses. Returned for tea. 
This is Dick's birthday and Ruth and Mrs. Wooler had a 
birthday cake and ice cream ready. After tea, the three 
of us ran up to the bridge across the small stream 
above Gordontown. Good series of a whirligig beetle, 
Dineutes sp., and a ptilodactylid, the latter actually 
in the water. As soon as dusk set in, we put up the 
net over the car and drove back slowly. Made a good 
catch of small things, including many Staphylinidae. 
After supper took flashlight and went after fireflies, 
Took a series in the field back of the house. There was 
a fine bunch of a blue tenebrionid, Tarpela mutabilis 
Waterh. on a fence post. Missed another nice scorpion, 
this time on a fence post. Home and to bed at 11.45 PM. 


Jan. 50. Today we took our first long trip. Packed a good 
lunch and started to circle the east end of the island. 
We went by way of Stony Hill and Castleton Gardens to 
the Wag Water and followed it to the north shore near 
Anotto Bay. We stopped for our first collecting near 
here. Swept along the roadside and took a series of 
Pentatomids as well as the usual line of small stuff. 
Found a species of Diplopod was travelling on the upper 
surface of the rails of the R R track. From here we took 
the coast road toward Port Antonio. Didn't see much that 
looked promising for collecting until we reached Hope 
Baye Back of a old foundation we found a cattle pen 


12 


which offerred good collecting. Dick found some 
fleshy fungi that were infested with Staphs and 

I took a good series of Aphodiinae from and under 
dung. The old foundation was very nice. It is just 
one of many to be found on the island and dates back 
to about 1835. After the freeing of the slaves the 
economic life of the island was disrupted and many of 
the planters returned to England. Termites probably 


Old cut stone foundation near Hope Bay. 


took care of the superstructure in a few years but the 
stone work has stood. Plant life, mostly ferns, has 
completely covered it so that its color blends perfectly 
with the background. The larger fern seen in the pice 
ture is a maidenhair, not very different from our north- 
ern species. , | 
As it was now late in the morning we started along 
the road looking for a good spot for lunch. We finally 
selected a place on the beach a few miles west of Port 
Antonio. The north shore of Jamaica is certainly much 
better for scenery than the south; the beaches are 
clean and mostly white, there are many coves and, at 
least in the east, few mangrove swamps. Shortly after 
lunch we came into Port Antonio, once the main commer- 
cial port of the east end of the island but now of quite 
minor importance. For many years the United Fruit Co. 
used Port Antonio and maintained a large tourist hotel 
on the high ground just back of the town and harbor. The 
hotel was closed for a few years and when opened it was 
found that termites had riddled all of the furniture and 
other woodwork. Later the building was destroyed by fire 
which was probably a very good thing as the infested tin- 
bers might have been transported to other parts of the 
island, thus spreading the colony. We looked around the 
town a bit, enjoying especially the various views of the 


13 


harbor, said to be the most beautiful one on the is~ 
land. There were one or two boats in at the time 
but the whole place seemed half asleep. There are 


y 


or ey Lf; 
"YY Ft °% 


Wh V/V 
Mi, ih) be eG 
‘ by 4 


WN ) Vij ; 
iS Ue ee A 
\ £0 Ve ‘ i ry fi 


. Port Antonio harbor from the west. 


a few fairly large and rocky islands just off the 
coast a little east of Port Antonio that are inhab- 
ited by single families. One looked especially nice, 
the house was set perhaps 500 feet above the water 

and the island itself might have been an eighth of a 
mile offshore, We continued along the coast road with 
occasional stops for collecting until we reached Fair 
Prospect where we turned in on the road to Friendship 
Valley. This was one of the best localities that Dick 
had found in 1935 and at the right time of year should 
produce a good crop of Chrysomelidae and longicorns. 
We got some spiders and a few insects, mostly Coccinel- 
lidae and leafhoppers. Followed the road and came out 
on the coast road near Manchioneal. Stopped just south 
of Manchioneal and took a fine lot of leafhoppers. 
Getting late so we pushed on home by the shore road 

by way of Port Morant and White Horses. Reached home 
at 8.45 PM, too tired to go out after fireflies, 


Jan. 31. Spent the morning sorting and labelling the 
catch and in visiting the traps at Ferry River. Found 
ants in all of the glasses, also one centipede and an 
earwig. Everything is too dry; such a habitat should 
have produced full traps. In the afternoon went to 
Caymanas to meet the Bovells at tea and to arrange to 
collect on the grounds of the Company. Mrs Bovell and 


fe) o ee > 


14 


Marjorie were at home and I felt at ease very quickly. 

Mrs Bovell announced that she would call me Doc and 

that we might go up to Derry later in our visit. Men- 

tion was also made of Kensworth, another estate belong- 
ing to Mr Bovell. He is the manager of Caymanas Estates, 
Ltd., producers of raw sugar and coconuts. Peculiar in 
some ways evidently, as he is unwilling to meet strangers. 
3 | We left shortly to go to 
the Edwards' cocktail party 
at the summer house above 
Hermitage Dam. One drives 
as far as possible on the 
road and then climbs the 
last five hundred feet by 
a very steep path. When we 
got up we found that we 
were on the top of a peak 
with room for one small © 
house and a very small gar- 
den. After cocktails we 
noticed fireflies and caught 
a few without falling off 
the mountain. They were a 
different species from the 
one found near the Wooler's,. 
Got home for a late supper 
and then went out for more 
fireflies. Found some and 
located a few of a differ- 
ent species in the gully 
beyond the next street 
south of Cargill Ave. Under 
street lights found many 
diplopods, that looked 
common enough to be some- 
thing good. So to bed. 


Feb. 1. Went to town this 
morning to leave film with 
Gick for developing and to 
get suit, netting, tacks, 
etc. Returned to Cargill Av. 
and made net for dryopids, 

| sorted yesterday's catch 
and prepared labels. After lunch took the Mavis Bank road 
to 2 miles above Gordontown, on the Flora river. Took rood 
series of various dryopids, gyrinids and water-pennies. 
Went back to station half mile above Gordontown and took 
many spiders including two species of Tetragnatha. Found 
some rotton banana trunks which produced weevil larvae, 
pseudoscorpions and Zoraptera. Used net over car going home. 


Liguanea plain, sugar mill in foreground, from Caymanas House. 


Feb. 


é. After an early breakfast and with a boxed lunch 
we started for Roaring River Falls. First, a few words 
about our car. It was a Fiat touring with mountain 
gear (four speeds forward and one reverse). It had 
been owned by a physician who turned it in some five 
years before on a new car. Masterton let us have it 
for three pounds a week plus two pounds for insurance. 
The agreement was that we bought all gasoline and oil 
and Masterton paid for all repairs. As the original 
tires were on it when we took it, new ones would prob- 
ably be needed before 
we were through with 
our trip. The motor 
proved to be in reason- 
able condition and gave 
us no trouble but the 
oil consumption was 
something to marvel at, 
One quart of oil with 
each five to seven gal- 
lons of gas was the rule 
and the radiator may 
have had a leak because 
it took three or four 
gallons of water every 
two or three days. But 
by and large, it was a 
good investment and we 
drove it about three 
The Fiat, with collecting net thousand miles in the 
forty days we had it. 
We took the road through Spanish Town and Bog Walk. 
Near that place we ran into dense fog, rising from the 
Rio Cobre along which the road runs. We crossed the 
river there on a new bridge and could see the foundations 
of an old bridge from the Spanish period. The river passes 
through a narrow gorge at this point and high up on the 
wall we could see a marker indicating high water line for 
some previous flood. From Bog Walk we went on through 
Linstead to Ewarton where we saw a likely collecting spot. 
It was a large pasture with considerable cow dung in sight. 
Took a series of Sulcophanaeus carnifex (L.), some Aphod- 
iinae and Staphs. A decaying grapefruit produced some 
Nitidulids and Dick noticed an old stump partly covered 
with a fleshy fungus that gave more Staphs. Our next stop 
was a couple of miles beyond Monneague where we saw a 
felled tree. Took some Staphs and Nitidulids under the 
fairly tight bark. In passing, the country around Ewarton 
looks just like New England. The farm houses are similar 
and white, well kept up and the farms are fenced. When 


Feb. 


16 


we hed returned to Kingston I mentioned the fact to 

Mrs Wooler, who seemed quite interested. She said 

that most of the New Englanders who migrated to Jamaica 
at the beginning of the American Revolution because of 
loyal sympathies settled in this part of the island and 
apparently they retained their notions of farming and 
farm buildings. We decided to stop in Fern Gully for 
collecting but when we got there we found the conditions 
not good. The soil was quite dry and the leaf cover was 
scanty and not good for sifting. Found a few Staphylin- 
ids but little else. Our next stop was at Roaring River 
where we did find conditions reasonably good. Below the 
falls and on each side of the stream there is flat land 
with dense shrubbery and plenty of moisture. Sweeping 
was fairly goods took a series of a pretty black and 
white barine, weevil and some chrysomelids. Noticed some 
small fishes in the still water just off the main stream 
and caught some with the beating net. Had lunch and left 
at about 2.30 PM. Decided to put the net up. Emptied the 
net first in Fern Gully, noting one very slender weevil 
and a nice cioid. Small catch, however, undoubtedly 
because it was so early in the afternoon. Stopped again 
at the upper end of Fern Gully to see if the deep shade 
in the gully had an effect on the flight of insects. 

The catch was not large but perhaps a few more that the 
previous one. It contained a few staphs as well as the 
same types mentioned above. Didn't stop again until we 
reached Ewarton. This time the catch was considerably 
larger and with more species. Next stop was just above 
Spanish Town, after going through the gorge of the Rio 
Cobre and along the river. Catch large, containing many 
new species including Aphodiinae, Heteroceridae and Dry= 
opidae. No more stops until we reached Half Way Tree 
where we took a very heavy catch from the net. Dick 
estimated the Staphylinidae at about 6,000. This catch 
was analyzed later and contained representatives of 34 
families of beetles and about 140 species. There were 
also Heteroptera and Homoptera. The Diptera, consisting 
mainly of Chironomidae, are not good when taken from the 
net as they are so soft that they break up. The Chiro- 
nomids amounted to about a teacup full from this one 
catch. We had time to bathe and dress for dinner and 
afterward sorted the catch and labelled the bottles, 

oe Went into town to get the films that were left for 
developing. On the whole not good; all were slightly 
fogged as if the pack had been opened in “safe light". 
As the film is a Panchromatic, there is no safe light. 
Bought a cutlass at Henderson's for one and nine and 
paid a boy one shilling to sharpen it. He did a good 
job and it will be very handy in the brush. Went for 
the mail and then back to 5 Cargill Ave. to finish sort- 


t+ Gambusra graailior Kegan 


Feb. 


17 


ing yesterday's catch. It is a really good lot with 
much of interest. After lunch went out the Spanish 
Town road, stopping at Fresh (Ferry) River to look 

at the traps. Two of them were practically empty but 
the third contained a good series of a small and rather 
strikingly-marked roach. Downstream from the traps we 
found a log with partly loose bark, under which we took 
many silvanids, Cossonus sp., Passalus sp. (with larvae) 
and a scorpion. Managed to catch a few small fishestin 
the small coves along the river bank. These were 
obviously not the same species as the ones we found at 
Roaring River. Next we drove the car out onto a sand 
bar at the ford in the Rio Cobre where we parked. 

Chased Cicindela sp. back and forth over the sand and 
managed to net a few, as well as many carabids and Tri- 
dactyla sp. We also found a few Staphylinidae under 
stones. From there we ran the car out the Sligoville 
road nearly to Sligoville. Saw one Sulcophanaeus in 

the road which we collected. Turned the car around 
near a citrus plantation and put the net on. Emptied 

it at Spanish Town and found that we had a good catch 
including staphs and Aphodiinae. Home for supper and 
afterward went to Hope Gardens for fireflies. Had good 
luck, taking three species (at least). One was fairly 
large and sluggish, sits on leaves rather close to the 
ground, flashes with light greenish light,. flash contin- 
uous for about one second, intervals between flashes 
long. These were all taken in the low bush below the 
pasture. Higher up in the pasture there was a second 
species, very similar to the one from the Pagoda (the 
name of Edwards' place on the hill where we went for 
cocktails Jan. 31). This species flies strongly with 

a steady but short flash. The third and smallest of the 
species flies high but weakly, is usually beyond reach 
of the net, flashes with a weak multiple flash which is 
repeated at close intervals. This species is found over 
the low wet ground where the large species was taken. 
Dick found a large luminous elaterid larva. I discovered 
that it bites viciously. The light organs are apparently 
in the intersegmental areas, the band behind the head 
much the strongest, the dorsal bands stronger than the 
ventrals and with no trace of separate lateral lights. 
This is almost certainly a Pyrophorus larva. Bed at 
11.45 PM. 


4. Had a late breakfast and started for Newcastle at 
about 9.30 AM. Above Gordontown at about 3200 ft. we 
ran into so much rain that we turned back and watched 
for good collecting places. The Gordontown-Newcastle 
road is very winding, it is said to have more than 350 
sharp turns in the eleven miles. We stopped where a 


+ limita eau doPasciata 


18 


small stream crossed the road. Found a few water 
beetles and plenty of fallen trees to work. Under 
bark found Zoraptera, ants etc. Ate lunch. At 

the next small stream we found some rotting banana 
trunks which yielded my first Metamasius adults, 

more Zoraptera and a couple of Alegoria dilatata Cast, 
Except for one or two scarabs, this is the only spec- 
ies of insect on Jamaica that I recognize at sight. 
Stopped again,at the bridge across the Mammee River 
near junction with the Hope,for dryopids. Found some 


Feb. 


Old Spanish bridge over Mammee River. 


water pennies and dryopids and managed to catch one 
small fish. The bridge is of fitted stone and except 
for the new concrete top is apparently in more or less 
original condition. These bridges are all very narrow 
and are strictly one way for traffic. Back to Half Way 
Tree through Papine and Hope gardens with time to 
bathe and dress before dinner. Did not go out in the 
evening but laid plans for the rest of the week, 


Se Went into Kingston to shop and look around, 
Called on the U. S. Consul and found him a very pleas- 
ant young man recently assigned to Kingston. Looked 
at Wedgwood with view of future purchases, Took tire 
around to Masterton for repairing. Bought ivory cig- 
arette holder and found a William IV sixpence in my 
change. Most of the coins in circulation are Victor- 
ian, some quite early. Returned to the garage for the 
tire and for gasoline to burn in the lantern, Then 
to Edwards' laboratory to look over the collection of 
local insects, The collection is very poor, many fam- 
ilies represented by two or three specimens are really 
common on the island. Edwards is evidently discouraged 


Feb. 


by his superior from attempting to build up a good col- 
lection. Saw nothing of special interest. What little 
they have was got together by C. C. Gowdey before he 

left. We spent the afternoon at 5bdCargill Ave., getting 
the sheet out and ready and filling the lantern. After 
tea took supper in box and went back to Hope garden to 
hang sheet. Found a good looking place but the collecting 
was poor except for leaf hoppers. Went across aqueduct 
(here it was so low that we could step or jump over it) 
into the low ground for more fireflies. We stumbled onto 

a freshly felled tree in the dark and found a few teneb- 
rionids and longicorns (Chlorida sp.) on its trunk. Went 
back to the sheet and found that the flight was about over 
so we picked up and went home. Ruth and the Woolers had 
gone to the movies and we were locked out. After waiting 
three-quarters of an hour for them to come home, I noticed 
that I could slip through one of the sidelights (which 
were unlocked through oversight) and so we were in. Bed 
about 11.30 PM. 


6- Mrs Wooler packed a big lunch for us and we started 
fairly early for Bath in St Thomas. Our road runs along 


Old fort near Harbour Head. 


the coast from Kingston, first through the gate of the 
old fort, now used as a military prison, then by the Pan- 
American Airways landing basin (all planes stopping at 
Kingston are amphibians) and finally into open country. 
Our first stop for collecting was a few miles this side 
of White Horses, where we saw a large tree recently cut 
down. It was a fine Tropic Birch about eighteen inches 
in diameter, The natives called it a "Budge gum", prob- 
ably a corruption of birch gum. Its technical name is 
Bursera gummifera. Its bark was just beginning to loosen 


20 


and we found a good series of various small beetles 

in the cracks of the drying bark. Mostly Colydiidae, 
weevils and tenebrionids but also a few other families 
were represented. Further along the road but still not 

as far as White Horses there was a fine tree in full 
bloom. It was afterward identified from our descrip- 
tion and its location as Cordia gerascanthoides by one 

of the men at the station. Its flowers were like those 

of a lilac but much larger and pure white. Beat some of 
the flowers and got a few Bruchids. At White Horses we 
found an acacia in bloom with an Apion-like weevil in the 
flowers. As the beach was quite near the road here, we 
went onto it and turned up some Phaleria under some sea- 
weed. No more stops until we reached Bath. Here we 
turned off the main road and took the trail to Cuma Cuna 
Pass through the Blue Mountains. The trail is good 
enough for a car to within five miles of the pass. Col- 
lected in fungus and rotten coconut leafbase, getting 

a few staphylinids, some diplopods and a frog. Ate our 
lunch at the end of the good road. There we found a 

very interesting colonial spider web. It covered about 
twenty square feet as a single sheet supported by the 
tops of the grass and herbs. The spiders were spaced 

some six inches apart over the entire surface and appeared 
to respect each other's territory. The species was a 
small one, not over a quarter inch long; the males were 
brown and the females black. A rotten banana stem near 
by yielded tenebrionids and nitidulids. We then returned 
to the main road and ran 
to a place about one mile 
east of Bath where the 

road crosses the Indian 
Cony River near its junction 
with the Plantain Garden 
River. Here there was a 
very large silk-cotton tree 
recently cut down. There | 
was a fine pile of chips 
where about twenty feet of 
its trunk had been. That 
piece of trunk may have been 
made into a boat or canoe. 
The collecting was the best 
yet. On the trunk itself 
we found several specimens 
of a large cerambycid and 


~~ : . * _ ~ 
"J : i 


er so ey one Chalcolepidius. The 

, i epiphytic orchids were still 
alive on the trunk and 
Silk-cotton tree (Dick) larger branches. Under chips 


CT ET eT ee ee eR ee 
| 21 


there were many myriapods as well as histerids and 
other beetles. I did a little beating in the small 
branches and in the shrubbery along the road into 

a banana plantation and got some good things. Left 

for home early so that we could put the net up over 

the car. Emptied the net twice, once at Morant Bay and 
once at Kingston. Good catches each time. We will 
return to this tree, probably Monday. 


Feb. 7. Today was a day of rest. I arose late, about 
10 AM (the rest had all finished breakfast) and spent 
the rest of the morning sorting and packing the catch 
of the last two days. Caught up on my journal which 
was three or four days behind. Wrote letters in the 
afternoon and went to bed early. 


Feb. 8. Again Mrs Wooler had a large lunch put up for us 
and we started for the silk-cotton tree. We had for- 
gotten to provide water coconuts so inquired along the 
road and were directed to Clifton Hill. We supposed 
that we had been directed to the overseer's house but 
not so. We found ourselves at the great house and 
evidently mistaken for tramps by the lady of the house, 
a Mrs. Pengelly. She watched us but didn't intend to 
talk with us until it came out that we were the two 
gentlemen from the States who were staying with Mrs. 
Wooler. Then all was well and we were invited into 
the house and shown all courtesies. Our coconuts soon 
arrived and we gave the boy a shilling for the nine 
that he had knocked down from the trees. When we got 
to the tree we found a party of blacks loading bananas 
but we all went about our businesses. The trunk gave 
us some more of the large cerambycids and another 
Chalcolepidius, in the chips I got a lot more of the 
myriapod. Found plenty of dryopids in the Indian Cony 
and on the other shore we located a very.large and very 
decayed tree. It was so soft that one could slash into 
it twelve to fourteen inches with the cutlass. We picked 
away at it and got a few specimens of Macraspis tetra- 
dactyla L. and two species of Rhyssodidae, the latter 
near to the center. Myriapods and pseudoscorpions were 
also present. Nearby there was an old coconut stump 
from which we took a beautiful green roach, Panchlora . 
Spe In beating a hedgerow, I took a few good things. 
While I was beating a long-tailed hummingbird came 
to within three feet of me and seemed very curious 
about what I was doing. I could almost have netted 
him. I saw my first tody in the tree over the banana 
pen. A small but very brilliantly colored bird, some- 
thing like a sparrow. As it grew dark and we had eaten 
wheat was left of our lunch, we put up the sheet and 


Feb. 


Feb. 


Feb. 


a 


22 


and lantern near the banana crib. Quite a few beetles 
came, including species that we had not seen before. 
Got some nice Colydiidae, Scolytidae, Platypodidae 
and some small whitish weevils. The flight stopped 
early, about 7.30 PM and we picked up. Dick took 

a couple of Pyrophorus that were flying. These are 
called “peenies" on the island. Too late to use the 
net over the car so we drove without stopping and 
reached Half Way Tree about 10.30. Ruth was up and 
showed us a bottle of Cyclocephala tetrica Burm. © 
taken by a Mr Nethersole on his porch. We are invited 
to collect there tomorrow night. His home is on the 
Hermitage Dam road, near where we start climbing to 
zo to the Pagoda. 


9. Slept late and after breakfast went into Kingston 
for mail (there was none) and to the Customs Office 


for the tank that Dick shipped from Puerto Rico. 


Worked over the catch of yesterday and wrote up the 
journals. Dinner was a little late so that we didn't 
get to Mr Nethersole's before the flight was past its 
peak. However, our host and a Mr Schneeball (a New 
Yorker living next door) had picked up a dozen Phyl- 
« We took a few more and several 


Lophaga Jj 
other good things. Two specimens of a Cyclocephala 
that looked new (I found out later that Arrow had 


it in manuscript at the time). Many coccinellids, 
including Psyllobora nigrovittata Cr., Ps. nana Muls. 
and Procula douei Muls. Some Ichneumonidae. To bed 
at about 10.30 PM but no sleep until the early morn- 
ing because the dogs next door barked steadily. 


10. Today being a legal holiday (Ash Wednesday) we 
rested until evening, except for a visit to the King's 
House where we signed the book. We did it quietly and 
avoided any invitations to luncheon. In the evening 
we ren up onto Ram's Horn ridge, across the valley 
from Mr Nethersole's place and half a mile east of 
Stony Hill. Burned the lantern for an hour or so but 
didn't get much as it was distinctly cold. Chased 
fireflies with flashlights and took a few. Gave it 
up as hopeless and went down into the gully above 
Constant Spring where the fireflies were much more 
abundant. Got a fine series of a large pale species. 
Back to the house about 10 PM and to bed for a good 
night's sleep. 


ll. Did very little today except to pack for Derry 
and run out to Hope Gardens to see Edwards. Dixon 
gave me a bottle of Anastrepha collected from mango 
in the vicinity of the station. 


Feb. 


23 


12. Left this morning about 9 AM for Derry. The trunk 
will stay at Mrs Wooler's since Ruth is holding the room 
while we are away. I have given up my room but hope to 
get it back when I return. First we go to Mendez Pen to 
pick up Mrs Bovell. She was at Don's place (bananas now 
but they hope to make it over into a dairy farm later) 

and we found it without difficulty. Ruth went with us and 
will stay with us until we go to Kensworth. Ruth and Dick 
took the Fiat and I went with Mrs Bovell in her Ford. The 
road was first back to Old Harbour and then west through 
May Pen and Four Paths to Toll Gate where we left the main 
road (to Porus). Had lunch a little way dow this road 
where it crosses Milk River and then up Figuraray Gully 

to a side road that goes by Kensworth. We stopped there 
long enough to see that it was habitable and then pushed 
on to Mandeville. Here we dida bit of shopping for pro- 
visions, postage stamps etc. From Mandeville, which is 


Derry House, from the east. 


a reasonably large town and very attractive, we took the 
road through Mile Gully and turned off just before reach- 
ing Comfort Hall on a side road that led to Derry House. | 
Derry is an old plantation now owned by Philip Bovell and 
occupied by the Savariau sisters and the servants. Her- 
manse Savariau if the older of the two and handles the 
servants and runs the place. Mary, a few years younger, 
(both appear to be in the region of seventy) is a born 
naturalist who should never have been prevented from tak- 
ing up serious work along the lines of anatomy or taxonomy. 
Born fifty years too early, she would certainly have done 
it in this age. She has collected fem B. Preston Clark 
and others. Both are very pleasant and they will make it 
easy for us in every way. The present Derry House is not 


24 


the original one but was built a little over a hundred 
years ago to replace the one that was destroyed by fire. 


one 
- ¥ 


he 2 
ff nit} j 
Hy ae 


ry 
rf 


Overseer's house, now stable, at Derry. 


The overseer's house stands a little in front of the 
Great House, that is, nearer to the main road. It is 
of whitewashed stone and is now used as stable and for 
general storage purposes. To the west of the Great 


“ae inka ei hab aye 


Water tanks at Derry. 


House are the water tanks, a pair of stone and concrete 
reservoirs into which the rain water which falls on the 
roofs. of the house is conducted. One of the tanks is 
for the house and one for the cattle. One does not use 
unboiled water for drinking purposes here. Back of the 
Great House and connected to it by a covered passage is 
the cook house where the servants live. At the side of 


Feb. 


LL a es 


25 


> - 


« «= bef die - - 
lay rae “= oe 
A Se OP 
“ et : eqs 


co 
oe 


~ 


Breadfruit tree at Derry. 


all around the estate are various specimen trees of 
the more unusual species, 

As soon as we had our luggage taken to our rooms 
dinner was called and we sat down at a nearly full 
table. The large dining room and the adjacent game 
room are floored with breadnut, a native tree whose 
wood resembles ebony. The flooring is in random widths 
showing both dark heart wood and nearly white sap wood 
and the effect as laid is striking and very beautiful. 
Each week the floor is polished by one of the servants. 
A half? coconut husk is packed full of orange peel and 
serves as the scrubbing brush. After a weekly scrub- 
bing for nearly a century the floor has a fine luster 
and a hard surface that can stand even hobnails with- 
out scratching. After dinner we went out and caught 
a few peenies and then to bed. 


13. Started out back of the house and stopped first 
to open a termitarium of Nasutitermes sp. Found the 
queen cell was in a crotch where we couldn't get at it 
so couldn't look for guests. Took some ants and cara- 
bids under stones in the roadway and some aphodiines 
under dung in the pasture. The ants were the kind that 
have long mandibles that click audibly when the ants 
are disturbed (Odontomachus haematoda (L.) ?). Came 
back to the house for lunch and after lunch went to 
the temporary pond north west of the house. Found a 
colony of Nasutitermes that was swarming and got a 
good series of winged forms as well as the queen. In 


Feb. 


Feb. 


26 


a large log lying above the high water line of the 
pond we found many Passalus in various stages. 
Sweeping produced little as did collecting on flowers 
of coffee. The coffee bush in full bloom is a sight 
with its very dark green leaves and white flowers. 

In the evening we went out back to hang the sheet and 
lantern. As we approached a suitable spot, we noticed 
a large grey bird sitting on a stump. By having Dick 
keep the beam of the flashlight in his eyes, I was 
able to walk up to within a yard of him. It was one 
of the goatsuckers, related to our Whip-poor-will or 
our Night Hawk. Made no effort to catch him and he 
soon flew away noiselessly as an owl would have. The 
evening was too cold and almost nothing came to the 
sheet. 


14. Took a lunch and started for Oxford Cave. We 
stopped at the bridge over the One Bye river, locally 
known as the Oxford river. Found at least three kinds 
of Dryopidae in the river, some on rocks but mostly 
on decaying banana trash that had collected in the 
backwaters. On a water soaked log in swift current 

I took a single specimen.of Helichus sp. (This proved 
to be the only specimen of this genus taken during 

our entire stay.) We ate lunch at the mouth of the 
cave and in the afternoon drove to Troy where we had 
good sweeping, especially for leafhoppers. Ruth and 
Marjorie had joined us at the bridge and they collected 
dung beetles and dryopids. From Troy we returned by 
way Of Balaclava where we stopped for bread. After 
dinner we went out for fireflies and took several 
specimens of a species new to us as well as specimens 
of species that looked common. If a firefly is not 
too high, not above 20 feet, it can be enticed down 
the beam of the flash light, that is, sometimes. A 
peenie will come in the beam from a much greater dis- 
tance. It's hard to stand still and not flinch when 

a peenie flies in because he comes very swiftly. How- 
ever, he lands so lightly that he is not felt when he 
strikes the shirt. We also tried the lantern and 
sheet but without results and we gave up soon and 
went to bed. 


15. Sorted the catch of the last few days and in- 
cluded a bottle of peenies and Ligyrus that the Sa- 
variau sisters, at least Mary, had saved for us. 
Collected a little around the place and decided to 
go over to Maggoty Falls in the afternoon. We went. 
through Balaclava and on the way stopped to collect 
dryopids in the Black river, we found a few. At the 
falls we opened a termitarium which had eight queens 


Feb. 


27 


in the queen cell but no termitophiles. In the lower 
part of the termitarium we found a few reptile eggs, 
each about one inch long. Above the queen cell, in 

the passageways there was a small blind snake, Typhlops 
jamaicensis, containing three more of the same type of 
eggs. The snake was small enough to squeeze through the 
passages in the termitarium and probably fed on the ter- 
mites. Its scales would protect it from the termites. 


Maggoty Falls. 


As collecting around the falls was not too good, we 

moved on to Newton where we stopped at the first cleare 
ing for tea and collecting. There was a freshly cut tree 
and Dick took a long series of nitidulids from the stump 
and butt. I worked my way into a thorny bush where there 
was another termitarium but I didn't succeed in getting 

at the queen cell. Part of the termitarium was occupied 
by a colony of large red ants which bit ferociously. While 
I was fighting the red ants I was stung painfully three 
times by what I took to be a wasp. Later I discovered 
that the stinger was a small and helpless-looking ant. My 
hands remained swollen for about three days. We then put 
the net up over the car and started home, emptying the 

net first at Balaclava and again at Derry. We had two good 
catches. After dinner chased fireflies at the side of the 
house in and around the shrubbery. Bed about 11 PM. 


16. Today we decided to go to the north shore by way of 
Catadupa and the Cockpit country. Stopped first at the 
Jones river for dryopids and took a good series. Then at 


Feb. 


28 


Catadupa we took a side road leading to Mocho. Found 
a few millipeds and some good sweeping. Got a series 
of coccinellids and spiders; Dick found a few nice 
staphs. Then we ran through the Cockpits which are 
now generally plented to bananas to Montego Bay. This 
is the big resort town on the north shore, full of 
magnificent hotels which are very expensive. Started 
east along the shore and stopped at several places to 
collect under beach drift, Minute trichopterygids were 
very abundant in 
the seaweed. For- 
ficulids were also 
there in numbers 
but in general the 
collecting was not 
good. Phaleria sp. 
and Aphodiinae 
should have been 
there. A mile or so 
beyond Montego Bay 
the shore has been 
captured by the man- 
grove and there was 
no more shore line 
before we reached 
Falmouth. Here we 
ate our tea. There 
are very nice ruins 
around Falmouth and 
Hyde Hall. After 
leaving Falmouth we 
put the net up over 
the car. The first 
part of the run was 
through cane fields 
and we emptied the 
Carton nest of Nasutitermes sp. net at the end of 
the cane. Had a good 
catch with many staphylinids. On the map this would be 
Jackson Town. From Jackson Town we took the road running 
nearly due south through Ulster Spring to Troy and Oxford 
and then to Derry. Put away the catch and went to bed 
without any night collecting for fireflies. We leave for 
Kensworth tomorrow morning. 


17. Left Derry early in the morning for Kensworth. Good 
thing we started betimes because we had our first real 
car trouble. Something was wrong with the ignition and 
while we could do as high as 25 m.p.h. on level ground, 
we could barely creep up a hill even in extra low gear. 
We finally stopped and found one sparkplug out because 


ee , ee ee oe a - 


29 


of a broken wire. After this was repaired we made 
better time but there was still something the matter 
with the engine. After three hours we had gone 20 
miles and we finally reached Kensworth at half past 
one. By that time Dick had decided that the trouble 
was a stoppage in the fuel line but we did not have 

ea pump to blow it out. We did clean the filter and 
that helped a bit. We settled ourselves and had a 


Front view of Kensworth. 


late tea. We tried out the collecting before supper 
and found a few things. After supper we hung the 
gasoline lantern on the porch and used the white wall 
of the house for a sheet. It was a little chilly and 
very little came to the light. 


Feb. 18. Ruth and Dick started for Kingston about 9,350 
AM, Ruth to stay at the Wooler's and Dick to take the 
car to Masterton for repair. He may get back tonight 
if all goes well. As soon as they were off I started 
out to the north of the house. Opened a termitarium 
and found eggs of Typhlops jamaicensis but no snake. 
Also I missed the queen cell and hence the queen. I 
should have said egg-shells as the eggs had hatched 
long since and the shells were dry and curled. This 
termitarium had been built partly on and partly ina 
fallen log and the dissection of it was not easy. 
Found some good sweeping that yielded bruchids, weevils, 
chrysomelids and others. Spilochalcis or related genus 
seems to be relatively common for I took eight or ten 
specimens. There is a small Tigridia-like iridaceous 
plant fairly common in the pasture. It has yellow 


50 


goblet like flowers about an inch across and quite 
pretty. There were ripe seeds to be had so I took 
a bottle full for Ben Morrison. Came back to the 

house for dinner which consisted of canned salmon, 


Looking southwest from Kensworth porch. 


bread and butter, with grapefruit juice to drink. 
After dinner I went straight away from the house,to 
the east and over the terrace wall into the pasture. 
Much better collecting, took at least fifteen species 
of beetles as well as many homoptera and heteroptera. 
The almost total absence of flies amd wasps is re- 
markable. So far I have seen only one wild bee, that 
one was on a flower on the way to White Horses; I 
missed it with my net. Flowers are almost as rare, 
the Cordia and Acacia found Feb. 6, the flower-men- 
tioned above and the Yellow "Tigridia" are all that 

I remember of seeing. I did find the host plant of 
the bruchid taken in the morning. It is a low shrub, 
perhaps three feet high, bearing pinnately compound 
leaves of from ten to twelve leaflets and long slender 
pods ( about 4.5 by .25 inches). By beating every 
shrub that I could find I got a series of a hundred 
or so bruchids. I also collected a bottle of the beans 
for possible identification. Came back to the hause 
for a combined tea-supper of salmon, fresh tomatoes, 
fried bananas, fried sweet potatoes, boiled cho-cho 
(which is like summer squash but without seeds), 
coconut milk and cocoa. A good meal, pretty well 
cooked. At this point let me introduce the servants. 


Feb. 


Feb. 


ol 


They are all very dark brown to black, all appear to be 
stunted in grouth and all have very bad teeth. The cook 
and more or less chief-of-staff is Clarice, who is unof- 
ficially married to Ferdie. They have one or two chil- 
dren and expect to get married legally some day when it 
is convenient. Clarice makes very good scrambled eggs 
and can boil vegetables in water; otherwise the cuisine 
is very limited. She has a younger sister, Rosa, who 
cleans house and tries (?) to keep the place in shape. 
Ferdie does the outside work which includes taking a few 
cows to pasture each morning and bringing them back each 
evening. And last, "The Boy", a youngster of about 14 
is attached to the menage to run errands etc. He makes 
one trip a day to Newport for supplies. The weekly wages 
of the four, respectively, in shillings are 5, 5, 3 and » 
a total of fifteen shillings or about $3.70 a week. In 
a place like Kingston the wage scale is a little higher 
but still nothing for the whites to be proud of, 

After supper I went over the day's catch and put that 
away and then, as it was Hazel's birthday, I wrote her a 
letter. Also one to Alan Stone. 


19. Went out east of the house again and worked along 

as far as the stone wall and bamboo thicket. Took more 
of the bruchids and quite a series of good things. In 
fact, the best collecting that I have had so far on the 
island. Came back to the house to get more bottles of 
alcohol and found the noon meal on the table. Clarice 

is under the impression that I never come back until I 

am hungry. Since it was ready, I ate. Then I went along 
the road, sweeping the vegetation with poor results until 
I met Dick, returning from Kingston. The car is now in 
better condition than ever. Ruth stayed behind at the 
Wooler's. Dick brought mail which was welcome. After un- 
packing and reading the mail, we swept for more bruchids. 
In the evening we put up the light on the porch and went 
out for fireflies whenever we sawa flash. About 9.30 PM 
a car pulled up at the front door. Marjorie Bovell and 
Barbara Nurse got out and settled themselves in the two 
rooms on the other side of the house. They watched us 
collect for awhile and then went to bed. We had planned 
to stay up until 3 AM to find out when the fireflies quit 
flying but got so sleepy that we gave up just before one. 


20. We started early for Dodd's Beach at Alligator Pond 
Bay and the girls went to Mandeville to do some shopping. 
As Paul Oman had asked me to look for a leafhopper living 
on some beach plant, I swept everything in sight. Finally 
I located a succulent Convolvulus on the beach away from 
the salt water which had hoppers. They are probably. not 
what Paul wants but I took them on general principles. 


ee 


Feb. 


52 


Beach Grape (Coccoloba uvifera Jacq.) was abundant on 
the sea side and yielded several good things. Best of 
all was a series of an undescribed species of Psyllo- 
bora. It was not common but by beating all of the 
beach grape in sight we took perhaps six specimens. We 
will come back here later to get more. There were some 
nice looking longicorns and one rather large and strik- 
ing cyrptorhynchine weevil, About noon the girls came 
with a fine lunch which was thoroughly enjoyed. Ata 


Beach at Alligator Pond Bay, looking east. 


suitable time after eating we went in for a swim in the 
surf. After the swim the girls went back to Kensworth 
and we continued to collect until it was time to put the 
net up over the car. We drove home by way of Cross Keys 
and took a good catch. Spent the evening talking about 
this and that. 


ele In the morning Marjorie took me over the estate to 
point out the dangerous sink holes. Ome of these is more 
than 250 feet deep. Don Bovell had himself lowered into 
it on a 250 ft rope and was unable to see bottom from 
that point with a strong flashlight. His dog had fallen 
in while chasing hogs. There are three bad sinks on the 
place. She also showed me the differences between Con- 
volvulus and Passiflora, genera which I had not differ- 
entiated. Took a small series of a blue Halticid on the 
Passiflora and a large series of a small black Halticid 
(Epitrix sp.) on the Convolvulus. Back to the house for 
dinner at about 1 PM. It started to rain and continued 


Feb. 


Feb. 


3s 


the rest of the day. Marjorie and Barbara went back 
to Caymanas at about 4.50 PM. Barbara is the wife 

of the factory chemist; they have recently come to 
the island from Barbados. The rain slowed up a bit 
at dusk and we took the lantern and sheet over beyond 
one of the sinks and stayed until 8.00 PM. Tooka 
few fireflies and Sulcophanaeus. Had a late supper 
and went to bed. 


eee Washington's Birthday and nobody seems to care ! 
We packed a lunch and started for BlackRiver town by 
way of Mandeville and Lacovia. Opened a termitarium 
near Lacovia and took a large queen but no guests. 
Just east of Black River we found ourselves at the 
shore and we beat beach grape getting more of the 
Psyllobora nesp. Also took staphylinids, histerids 
and Aphodius on human excreta. Followed the shore road 
: east until we came 
to the side road 
going to Great Pe- 
dro Bay. There is 
a fishing camp 
there and the odors 
not any too pleas- 
ant. We had decid- 
ed to eat lunch ther 
| but changed our 
minds. We went 
| back to the main 
| road an had lunch 
"| by the roadside 
-| in the shade of a 
“=«.| large tree. Then on 
to Alligator Pond 
Bay for more Psyl- 
lobora n.sp. and a 
| swim. There are no 
Bamboo near Lacovia. bathing facilities 
at Kensworth. Left 
at 6.00 Fit and ran to Kensworth with the net up. Took 
a good series of Staphylinidae and Aphodiinae. "The Boy" 
had caught two galliwasps, lizards reputed to be very 
poisonous, in the wall in front of the house. Will 
have to go to Mandeville tomorrow for formaldehyde and 
a jar to keep them in. Bed about 10.30 PM. 


— . 


23. Went to Mandeville for shopping. We mailed some 
letters that we had written, bought some stamps and 


Cigarettes, also gasoline. Finally got some formalde- 


hyde in the drug store and a large glass jar in the 
hardware and drygoods store. Back to Kensworth for an 


a 
* 


04 


early dinner. In the afternoon we went out to look 
for the old works, supposed to be somewhere on the 
estate but we missed them. We did get more bruchids 
and also found a sink that hed filled with water so 
that there was a permanent pool. After tea, went 
back to Mandeville with two tires that had deflated. 
We then put up the net and drove back to Kensworth 
by way of Williamsfield, Porus, Toll Gate and Milk 
River. Emptied the net at Toll Gate and again at 
Kensworth. Took over a thousand staphylinids from 
the net at Toll Gate. Stopped just before we reached 
Kensworth to chase fireflies; we took at least three 
species. 


Feb. 24. After waiting for breakfast, we took lunch and 
started for Savanna-La-Mar. We first stopped at Man- 
deville to pick up the spare wheel left last night. 


i 


al 


Silk-cotton tree, showing buttress base. 


Then we really started by Spur Tree Hill, Lacovia, 
Santa Cruz and Black River. Blew another tire near 
Middle Quarters, just before coming into Black River. 
So we had to stop at Black River to have that one 
fixed. Off again, following the shore road toward 
Savanna-La-Mar. About five miles out we came to a 
small and rather muddy pond. By laying a board that 
we found on the mud “beach” we were able to crawl 
out and collect from the weeds and from the surface 
of the mud. Dick took some Stenus and other staphs 
and I got good series of Coleomegilla cubensis Csy. 
and a blue halticid, perhaps Disonycha. The owner 
of the pond mistook us for poachers and sent his 
servant in to expel us. It wasn't difficult to 
pacify the owner, however. We ate lunch there and 


59 


then pushed on, stopping next at Seal Cove. Insects 
were not abundant but the rocks in the shallow water 
were covered with a small roundish snail with very 

beautifully marked shell. No two seemed to be alike. 


Main street of Black River. 


Looking back at Black River from the road. 


After collecting a bottle full of the snails, we drove 
as far as Bluefields, from which point we could see 
savanna-La-Mar across Bluefields Bay. Went down onto 
the beach and beat beach-grape but didn't find the new 
Psyllobora. Turned back and took the road around Black 


Feb. 


56 


River, through Speculation and Luana. Near Luana we 
saw a good looking pasture and stopped. Dick worked 
dung for staphylinids and Aphodiinae while I beat the 
shrubbery from miscellaneous insects and spiders. Took 
a good lot of the latter. Ate what we had for tea and 


RR Aa 
S NIt A iN a ie 
; \ uw $ , 
: ) \ “A | Ar A + 
va mW 
Maan [*< 


Small pond, five miles west of Black River. 


At Middle Quarters put up the net. We drove to a point 
half way up Spur Tree Hill where we stopped to let the 
engine cool. The catch was a large one, in fact one of 
the largest that we took on the whole trip. There were 
more than two thousand staphs and there was a series of 
eight specimens of what was obviously a new species of 
Phyllophaga. From Spur Tree we took the road to Knock- 
patrick, then to Newport and Kensworth. 


206 Spent the morning putting away the catch of the 
last two days. Also investigated one of the sinks. 

The investigation was not conclusive because when a 
rock is dropped in, you can't hear it strike bottom 

and so can't tell how deep it really is. It's plenty 
deep, anyhow. In the shrubbery around the sink we got 

a beautiful case of chiggers, enough to keep us itching 
for the next few nights. In the afternoon we went back 
to Alligator Pond Bay, by way of Mandeville, Spur Tree, 
Gutters and the road down the valley. Took one more 
Psyllobora, a few shells and chitons and had a swim. On 
the way back we put up the net and drove back to Gutters 
and then back and forth on the Spur Tree - Santa Cruz 
road until quite dark. However, we took no more of the 
new Phyllophaga. Finally home through Alligator Pond and 
Cross Keys. Missed our way at Cross Keys and took the 


o7 
long way around through Newport. 


Feb. 26. Breakfast at 8 AM, after which we packed the 
car for the trip to Kingston. We paid the servants 
for a week and a half, so they cost us an even guinea. 
I also gave the Boy three pence for the lizards that 
he dug out of the wall. Instead of going back over 
the same road that we first came over (with Mrs. Bo- 
vell), we went through Newport, Mandeville, Porus and 
Toll Gate. Between Porus and Toll Gate we stopped by 
the Milk River to look for dryopids. Didn't find any 
but did get badly stung by ants while tearing a rotten 
banana trunk to pieces. Next stop was at a small pond 
by the roadside, one mile east of May Pen (23 mi. west 
of Spanish Town. There was good sweeping around the 
shore and in the water we got many water beetles and 
bugs. The pond was just full of water fern (Marsilea 
quadrifolia L.). This pond was out in the full sun in 
a pasture. Two miles further down the road we found 
another pond, this one in the woods. Took a series of 
a Dineutes which was different from the one we found 
near Gordontown. Also caught a few small fish Dick 
found some dung that yielded a large number of staphs, 
aphodiines, sphaeridiines and histerids. No more stops 
for collecting and we reached Half Way Tree in time to 
bathe and dress for dinner. I can't live at the Wooler's 


The Lindo's, 6 Cargill Ave., Half Way Tree. 


now as my room has been taken so I will eat and sleep 
across the street at the Lindo's. One compensation is 
hot water for baths. After dinner we went to see the 
movie "The Ghost Goes West.", very light and funny. 


7 Gambuata oligosticla Regan. 


o8 


Febe 27. In the morning we took the car to the garage 
for minor repairs and a check up. Went around to 
Nathan's and ordered another suit. As the bolt of 
grey cloth was exhausted, I had to take light brown, 
When I told Mrs. Wooler, she looked distressed at 
first but said that as long as I didn't wear brown 
on the island it would be all right. Only people of 
color wear brown or any shade thereof on Jamaica, 
Also went for the mail and to Gick's for films that 
had been left for processing. They came out much 
better than the first lot that he handled. Spent 
tuppence to go home by tram. After lunch we took the 
tram back to town and recovered the car. Drove out 
to Hope Garden and found a freshly cut tree but there 
were no beetles. It was too late to see Edwards so 
we went back to the house and to bed early. 


Feb. 28. Took lunch and started for Bath (St. Thomas). 
Stopped on the road to help a man who had tire trou- 
ble. At Leith Hall, near Morant Bay, we stopped for 
water coconuts. The accountant refused pay for them, 
saying that the rats got half a million each year and 
our few could go in with the rat's allowance. Even 
with the rat depredations, Leith Hall markets a mil- 
lion a year. The accountant has been paralyzed for 
thirty years, following an accident in the Panama 
earthquake of 1907 while he was working on the canal. 
We collected a bit in the vicinity and then pushed on 
to the silk-cotton tree. Got more of the usual run of 


Plantain Garden River at Bath (E.A.C.) 


of species and some lizards. Decided to go home by 


eo Te 
og 


the Cedar Valley road which proved to be one of the 

most beautiful drives that we have seen. In going 

toward Kingston, the left side of the road is a steep 
cliff, over which “bridal veil" waterfalls tumble at 
frequent intervals. To the right is the valley of the. 
Plantain Garden river. We had the net up over the car 
end took a good catch. As this was Sunday, the native 
population was out in its best finery and it was amusing 
to note that the store keeper at Trinityville must have 
purchased a bolt of a most arresting shade of purple. We . 
saw about a dozen damzels, each dressed entirely in this 
remarkable color. Going was slow as the groups of loiter- 
ers were always encountered in the middle of the road 
just around each turn. We arrived at Half Way Tree for 
late dinners at 8.30 PM. 


Mare 1.. Went to Caymanas Estates to say our Good-byes to 
Mrs. Bovell. Marjorie took us over the factory and we 
followed the manufacture of sugar from the fresh cut 
cane to the bagging of the semirefined product. The 
cane comes in from the field in lengths from three to 
six feet and is unloaded into a trough whose bottom is 
a moving belt. The cane first passes through a battery 
of chopping knives and is reduced to coarse hash. ‘This 
hash is passed through three sets of very heavy rollers 
and the juice is completely extracted, leaving the refuse 
or bagasse dry and ready to burn. Except for the wood 
necessary to start the boilers at the beginning of the 
season, the power plant of the factory operates entirely 
on bagasse. The juice is filtered, mixed with lime and 
goes to the kettles where it is boiled down. As cane 
sugar, or sucrose, tends to break down into dextrose and 
levulose, much of the yield of the cane would be lost if 
this tendency could not be overcome. Lime prevents the 
inversion of the dextrose to levulose and therefore is 
added to the juice. It spoils the molasses because it 
robs the molasses of part of its sweetness. After the 
juice is thickened by boiling, it is led into vacuum pans 
where it continues to boil until the sugar crystals form. 
At just the right instant the contents of the vacuum pans 
is sluiced into the centrifuges where the molasses is 
driven away from the sugar and from which the sugar is 
taken in a slightly moist state for bagging. If the vac- 
uum pan is mek emptied too soon, the yield of sugar is low 
and if too late, the sugar "freezes" in the pan and has to 
be chiseled out and considerable expense, 

From the factory we drove over to one of the large 
banana. walks where the cutters were at work. Each tree 
bears a single stem or bunch of bananas and is cut down 
when the bananas are ready for harvesting. The cutter 
uses just seven strokes of a cutlass for each tree and 


Mar. 


40 


receives for his labor the sum of one shilling for 

each hundred trees cut. He is also penalized for bad 
bunches, if any. The carriers bring the bunches to 
previously determined spots along the road where they 
are washed by the women and loaded into trucks. Two 
bunches at a time is considered a good load for a man 
but I have seen three taken. Carriers get three shil- 
lings a hundred bunches. The work is hard as it means 
tramping through mud six or eight inches deep for fifty 
yards or so with about 150 lbs balanced on the head. 

We went back to the house for lunch and had a most 
pleasant visit with Mrs Bovell and Marjorie. Left about 
5 PM and drove to Kingston where I left a film pack for 
development and had a fitting at Nathan's. I was invited 
to the Wooler's for tea and in the evening we went to 
the movies. The picture was a comedy “One Rainy After- 
noon", Light but amusing. 


Pylons of an old Spanish bridge at Easington. 


2e First went down town to do some errands. Dick is 
still pursueing the tank supposed to come on the Howe 
line boat. Nothing heard of it as yet. Then he went 
to Pan American Airways to try to collect on his plane 
ticket, Jamaica to Washington. They were not ready to 
settle and we are a bit nervous. The reservation on 


liar. 


41 


the boat must be taken up soon and of course Dick can't 
afford to pay for four passages home at the same time. 
I went to the bank (Bank of Nova Scotia) to get cash 
to pay my bills at Mrs Wooler's and the Lindo's as well 
as to do a little necessary shopping. Went to Hender- 
son's for hardware. Bought two more cutlasses, at one 
and nine each, two knives at five and six each and a 
heavy outdoors knife for Elsie Brown at nine shillings. 
After lunch we started for Bath by way of Easington and 
Trinityville. The Yallahs river was very low and the 
fords were all open. 
It is hard to believe 
that if they had a 
hard rain in the Blue 
fountains, the Yallahs 
would become a raging 
torrent in a few min- 
utes. Just upstream 
of the present bridge 
at Easington are the 
remains of an old suse 
pension bridge dating 
from the Spanish occu- 
pation. The two pylons 
are still standing and 
the notches in their 
tops for the three > 
cables are plainly 
visible. The bridge 
floor was at the level 
of the gateways cut 
through the pylons. 
As we approached Bath 
we noticed a stream 
cutting across the road 
thet looked like good 
The valley of the Yallahs. collecting. We stopped 
and took some fine 
water beetles, including many dytiscids. Almost as good 
a haul as we made from the small pond in the pasture 
near May Pen. . We ate tea and turned the car around as 
it was getting late. With the net up we ran back a few 
miles. Here we turned off of the Cedar Valley (Trinity- 
ville) road. and went down to Morant Bay, following the 
Morant River, and then along the coast road to Kingston. 
Thirteen miles out of town we came across three girls in 
a broken down car. We took a message to an officer at 
the Up Park Camp barracks. 


Se Spent the morning putting away the catch of the 
last few days. Also wrote up some of the notes that 


Mare 


42 


had been neglected. In the afternoon we went back | 
to Pan American Airways and still they are not ready 


to make the refund on Dick's tickets. We finally 


drove out to the airport and Dick talked with some 

of the officials there. He was given assurances that 
the matter would be adjusted in time for him to take 
up his reservation on the United Fruit boat. Then 

we ran out onto the Palisadoes for a short distance. 
This is the point of land which forms the outer boun- 
dary of Kingston harbor and at the end of which is the 
town of Port Royal. The original Port Royal, destroyed 
by the earthquake of 1698, stood on a site now under 
water. On the way back to town we dropped into the 
United Fruit to make sure that our boat reservations 
were all right. In the evening we saw a very poor 
movie “Murder on the Bridal Path". | 


4. Spent the day getting some photographs that we 
felt we needed for our records. Ran out the Spanish 
flown road nearly to Ferry river where we found a ter- 
mitarium in a good place for photographing. (See page 
28). Nearby we found a dead dog and from under it 
took a series of Creophilus and Opatrinus, both genera 


new to our Jamaica collecting. Then after lunch we 


went back to Hope Gardens for photos and to see Mr. 
Edwards. He gave me a set of maps of the Kingston 
District which are very detailed. There should be 
four in the set but one was either out of print or 
had not been prepared. We also arranged to get a 
gallon of alcohol from him. Took photographs of 
Dick collecting in dung (see next page) and of some 
of the buildings. Then we went back down town and 
paid for the car, again got no satisfaction from Pan 
American, bought icecream for tea and did some other 
errands. After dinner or rather tea, we packed the 


_ trunk and paid a duty call on some friends of some 


Mar. 


one in the Pan American Union. The name was Bravo 
and we were very welcome. We stayed only a short 
time and then went back to early bed. 


De Spent the day packing and doing errands. Dick 
arranged to have the tank (still missing) delivered 
from the Horn Line to the Jamaica Auto Association 
and to have Marjorie notified of its arrival, bought 

a few gigts, mostly Wedgwood and ivory. We also col- 
lected the refund from Pan American Airways and got 
the gallon of alcohol from Edwards. At six we went to 
Edwards' home for cocktails and met several people. 
One of the guests was A. W. Jobbins Pomeroy, once with 
the US DA and later with the British government in 
Africa. He is now retired and lives in Jamaica. He 


Mar. 


43 


is somewhat of a braggart but has done one creditable 
paper on Carabidae. I was invited for dinner to the 
Wooler's, since it was the last night. After dinner 


Dick collecting dung beetles. 


finished packing the suitcases, including one new one 
that was necessary to hold the new accessions. 


6. Made our final goodbyes before nine and started 


for the boat. 


We left the baggage on the pier and Dick 


took the car to Masterton. A chauffeur then drove him 


44 


back to the pier. Marjorie had come down to see us 
off and we all went aboard. Our boat is the Ulua, 

a smaller and more chunky ship than the Quirigzua. 

My stateroom is No. 1, the worst on the boat, I think. 
It is on the main deck opening into the main saloon. 
Also I found out later that one of the derricks that 
is used to hoist the cargo out of the hold has to be 
set up on the roof just over my bunk, so that I got 
no sleep the last night when we entered New York. 
The boat sailed at 10.15 AM and we passed Morant Bay 
at about 1 PM. 


UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY 


ALL CORRESPONDENCE 


SHOULD BE ADDRESSED Washengton, CSA. 
TO THE SECRETARY 


March © 1941, 


10 WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 


This will serve to introduce Dr. Edward 
Ae Chapin, Curator of Insects, United States National 
Museum, who is traveling to Jamaica to study the insect 
life of that Island and to make collections for this 
Institution. 
Any courtesies or assistance that may 


be accorded him will be deeply appreciated. 


G4 Secretary. 


NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
NATIONAL COLLECTION OF FINE ARTS 
FREER GALLERY OF ART 


NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION DIVISION OF RADIATION AND 


ORGANISMS 


FEDERAL SECURITY AGENCY 
U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 


IN REPLYING, ADDRESS THE 


U.S. Public Health Service Dispensaty 
Railroad Retirement Board Bldg., 
4th & D Sts., S. W., Washington, D. 0; 


March 25, 1941. 


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 

This is to certify that DR. EDWARD A. CHAPIN, 
employed as Curator of Insects by the U.S. National 
Museum, has received three inoculations against typhoid 
at this Dispensary: 0.5 cc., March 10, 1941; 1.0 cee, 
March 18, 1941, and 1.0 cc., March 25, 1941. 


Respectfully, 


A » van’Ackeren, 
Surgeon, USPHS, 
Medical Officer in Charge. 


VWBscag 


UNITED FRUIT COMPANY. 
GREAT WHITE FLEET 


| 
| 
| 


( 4 G.£. §. “Talamanca” 


C. W. WHIDDEN, Master 
SAILING FROM NEW YORK, | 


FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1941 


9 


PORTS OF CALL: 


KINGSTON, JAMAICA, B. W. A 
CRISTOBAL, C. Z. 

PORT LIMON, C. R. 

PUERTO BARRIOS, GUATEMALA 
HAVANA, CUBA 


—> Oe > 


MR. H. M. LARRABEE 


" =F, 


New York to Kingston, Ja. B. W. I. 


MR. E. A. CHAPIN 

MR. & MRS. A. V. COOK 

MISS L. V. Da COSTA | 

MISS FOWENA FOWLES 

MISS ALBERTHA FRANCIS 

MISS JOYCE GRIERSON 

MR. T. W. HALL 

MR. & MRS.M. C. HANDAL & 4 children 
MISS LUCILE HOSACK 


MR. T. W. NEWCOMB 


MRS. I. M. OAKLEY 

MR. VINCENT PELLEGRINO 
MRS. M. N. REED 

HON. @ MRS. J. A. SANDERS 
MRS. P. P. SEAGRAM 

MARS. L. E. SOWLEY 


New YVorl to Cristobal, 


LIEUT V. L. BIGSBY, U.S.N.R. 
MR. SPENCER BURNHAM 


MR. ALFRED GILMAN 


MR. MURRAY HERTZ 
MR.GUSTAV A. HOLMSTROM 
MRS. G. E. JACOBS 

LIEUT. J. Y. MILLER, U.S.N. 
MR. JOS. RIZZO 

MR. LAWRENCE SCACCHETTI 
MR. LOUIS SEGAL 

COMDR. & MRS. H. T. SETTLE, U. 8. N. 
MR. H.T. SETTLE, JR. 

MISS MARY E. SETTLE 

MRS. J. W. STEWART 

MR. M.M.TATZ 

MR.G. F.WEIS 


WASHINGTON, D.C. 
MORRISTOWN, N. J. 
KINGSTON, JA. . 
RENO, NEVADA 
ST. ANDREW, JA. — 
KINGSTON, JA. 
TORONTO, ONT. 
KINGSTON, JA. 
CROSS ROADS, JA. 
LONG BRANCH, N. J. 
NEW YORK CITY 


a 


>» 9 ” 


RENO, NEVADA 
TORONTO, ONT. 
BROOKLYN, N. Y. 


_&. @e 


MALVERN, PENNA. 
CHICAGO, ILL. 
BRONX, N. Y. 
BROOKLYN, N, Y. 
BRONX, N. Y. 

FORT CLAYTON, Cees 
‘CHELSEA, MASS. 
BELLROSE, oy & 


LOUIS VILLE, KY. 


McLEAN, VA. 
BROOKLYN, N. Y. 
NEW YORK CITY 


New York to Port Limon, €C. Fe. 


MR. AGUSTIN MEMBRENO, P. 
MR. & MRS. PF. W. OWENS 

MR. & MRS. VICTOR QUEZADA 
MR. & MRS. RICARDO SOLANO, S. 
MRS. AMALIA TREJOS 

MRS. M. L. MORENO de VILLALTA 


New York to Puerto Farrios. 
MISS ALICE HANCHETT 


MISS ESTHER LANG 
MISS MARGUERITE YEAMAN 


FOREST, IDAHO 
SAN JOSE, C. R. 
ABILENE, KANSAS © 
HILLSDALE, N. J. ~ 
SAN JOSE, C. R. 
NEW YORK CITY 
@svecaterveanl aa 


DETROIT, MICH. 
BROOKLYN, N. Y. 


Jamaica - 1941. 


Apr. 18 - 22. Om board the United Fruit boat "Talamanca", 


Left pier 9, North River at 4.00 PM, in clear weather, 
As soon as we were clear of the slip, I started to hunt 
for Julia Stewart who was registered as a passenger, 
She was sitting in a deck chair and failed to recognize 
me when I spoke to her. After introducing myself, we got 
along fine. We arranged to sit at the same table at 
meals and we got our deck chairs together. We entered th 
shuffleboard tournament as partners and won, her prize 
being a bedroom lamp and mine a combination jigger, ice 
hammer, bottle opener and corkscrew, The cruise passen- 
gers were average. 


Apr. 22. Docked at Kingston at 10.45 AM. We were in sight 


of Morent Light at 5.30 and I stayed on deck til break- 
fast picking out spots that I could recognize. The 
mountains were completely enveloped in fog at first but 
by 7.00 the fog was rising and soon all but the tops of 
the peaks were clear. Boat stopped at Port Royal to let 
the immigration officers come aboard. We were divided 
into two groups, British citizens and aliens. All aliens 
who had British visas were given landing cards, those 
without were required to remain on the boat while it was 
in harbour. My Special Passport with courtesy visa from 
the British Embassy made things very easy and I was told. 
that I would be under no restrictions while on the is- 
land. I signed a declaration stating that I had no Brit- 
ish money and $575.00 in U. S. currency. When I leave 
the island I will have to sign a declaration that I am 
taking away from the island no more money than I brought 
ine There was no one on the dock that I could recognize 
so I went straight to Customs, saying goodbye to Julia 
who goes on ti Cristobal to meet Dale who is coming up 
from Peru. First I put through a telephone call to the 
Hope station but Edwards was out. Then I called the Jam- 
aica Institute and made contact with C. Bernard Lewis, 
Curator of Natural History. We arranged that he would 
call for me at 1.50 PM with his car. Pretty soon my 
baggage was all together and the inspection wes made. 

My camera, which had been taken from me before we entered 
British territorial waters, wes returned and I was told ~ 
what I would have to do about films before I could leave 
the islend. All was very pleasant, even the reporter 
from the Gleaner who asked for a statement as to my 
attitude on an “all out aid to Britain" policy. I man- 
aged to sidestep the issue. Waited about an hour for 
Lewis, who arrived on time and with my baggage in his 

car we left for the Institute. He had a meeting at 3.00 
and I wandered about Kingston renewing my acquaintance 


ee Cm Ne ae a ee ree, os i lll aa 


eS a x EE _—_ ee ee Te ar 


2 


with the shops. lhe nice place on Harbour Street where 
the best Wedgwood was to be obtained in 1937 is gone 
completely and Gick's is no longer in evidence. Lewis 
tells me that Gick has lost interest in photography and 
is spending all of his time at the local broadcasting 
station. About 4 PM I remembered that I had had nothing 
to eat since morning, so to the Dixie Doodle for a sand-« 
wich and some ice-cream. Then back to the Institute in 
time to meet the Board of Directors, just as the meeting 
broke up. About 5 PM, Lewis and I went to 2 Piccadilly 
Road to look at a room that was available. I was satis- 
fied and closed with Mrs. F. L. Dignum for the sum of 


é 


ys ¥ ee 
— - - 4 . - ’ : 
a a " ro . ; ~ 7 
gf ‘ a » , : > 
: - eis 
Za. 4 * e © , 
. ; ane 


. * 
- 
yd 
VA 
o 
*s 
A itd 
‘ 


— ‘ 


. . e 
@ 


i! hy ia eT a 


_ = 
_—* 


~ 
> * = “ - ba mt, + “ey 
= a . es s a es | * ae £2. 
- a ‘ ne - od - > 
’ Ee —« “Ty , 2: - 3} why gh» 
Pr Py! - y he - c a Vet es : 
~ - wy ~ ; . . - lo: - 
. . 7 . site : onate - - = 
- « 


2 Piccadilly Road, Cross Roads P. 0. 


Iwo pounds ten a week. Then back to the Institute to 

get my baggage. After getting settled, I had tea, for~ 
getting that dinner would be served in half an hour. 

The food was plentiful and well cooked, though the cook 
has a heavy hand on the pepper and curry powder. Lewis 

is going to Goat Island (in the American Reservation) 
tomorrow and has invited me to go along. There are 
already four persons at 2 Piccadilly Road; Mrs. Florence 
L. Dignum, widow of the late Assistant Colonial Secretary, 
her 19 year old daughter, Faith and Dick Doubleday, visit-~ 
ing the island from Vancouver, B. C. The fourth member 
does not really count. He is a Mr. Radix, english, very 
ill bred and not much in evidence. I have a large room 
on the west side, opening onto a side porch and separated 
from it by jalousies. There are no mosquito bars but am 
told that the mosquitoes are rarely bothersome. A flit 
gun is available. 


o 


April 23. Lewis called for me at 6.45 AM and I was ready. 
Went first to the Institute to pick up two Cayman Islend 
negroes, Norris and Mac. These were two of Lewis' help 


Mrs. D. and Faith. Dick Doubleday. 


during his expedition to the Caymans. Then the four 
of us drove to Old Harbour Bay, through Spanish Town 
and Old Harbour. While the others were unloading the 
car, I stepped back into the bush and collected a 
colony of Crematogaster from a hollow branch. We packed 
our few supplies about three hundred yards to the shore 
where the launch was waiting. Before going aboard, we 
went up shore to look at a young manatee that a fisher- 
man had brought in. It was still alive and looked to 
be in good health so Lewis arranged to buy it for the 
Institute's zoo. Leaving shore, we first came abreast 
of Little Goat Island, already cleared for occupation. 
The barracks have been built but is not yet occupied 
because of the plague of sand flies. Great Goat has 
been surveyed but no great amount of clearing has been 
done yet. We landed at about the middle of the east 
side and dumped most of our stuff. So far as Lewis is 
concerned, the object of the trip was (1) to collect 
_livimg specimens of the Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura jamai- 
eensig) and (2) to cut sample logs of various species of 
native hardwoods. This island is the last stand of the 
Iguana and when the occupation of the island is completed 
‘by the U. S. Navy there won't be any lizards left nor 
many trees. there is a path, though a very rough one, 


4 


right to the top and there the U. S. Coast and Geo- 

- detic Survey has constructed a tower about 40 feet | 
high. We climbed the tower and had a grand view of 
the whole American base, as well as of the hills as 
far back as the Blue Mountains. After coming down 
from the tower I was too tired to start out right 
away so we cut the flower spike out of a "coratoe" 
or May Pole (Agave sobolifera S.-D.). ‘The flowers form 
a pyramidal spike four feet high by two feet through, 
at the end of the leafless ten foot pole. The plant 
exudes a gelatinous sap that gets all over everything. 
I nearly caught Norris with my cutlass when it slipped 
out of my grasp because of the goo. The flowers were 
swarming with small insects, mostly Anthicidae. Having 
finished the spike, Lewis suggested that we go back 
through the bush instead of along the path, in hope of 
finding an iguana. So we started down over the honey- 
comb rock, very rough and unpleasant to fall on, cute 
ting our way through the thorn bushes and cacti, Half 
way down, a large iguana surprised us by jumping from 
the crotch of a tree, fully five feet above ground. 
This was the first direct evidence that Lewis had that 
the iguana could climb, though a statement to that ef- 
fect had been published in 1851. We failed to get the 
lizard and continued down to the shore path. I worked 
my way slowly along the path to where we had landed and 
immediately stripped and lay down in the water to soak. 
Our drinking water had given out and I was dry. After 
20 minutes in the water I felt much better and was all 
ready when the launch returned at 2.30 with a fresh 
supply of water, beer and ginger ale. Collected termites, 
ants, dragonflies, shells, etc. until 5.15 when we left, 
going the long wey around and having a fine view of both 
the Goat Islands. Got away in the car at 6.30 and re- 
turned to 2 Piccadilly Road without incident. Dinner 
was waiting for me and after dinner we had a call from 
Ivan; he was living with the Wooler's in 1937, Fixed my 
catch, wrote up my notes and to bed at 10.00. 


April 24. First of all went to the Jamaica Auto Association 
to meet Miss Nixon and Mr. Duquesnay. He offerfed a 
1937 Ford coupe for Six pounds a week. We went first 
to a photographer for a sitting (finished prints to be 
ready in one hour), then to the National Bank of Canada 
for $100 in British (Iwentyfour pounds, thirteen shillings 
and four pence), back to the J A A to prepare the papers 
(rental of car and application for driver's permit), 
back to the photographer where the prints were ready 
(in less than en hour) and to the traffic Bureau. No 
trouble in getting permit (Ten shillings). Back to the 
J AA to get the car and then back to the Institute. 


Se eee ee) ee Oe eee ee ey ee eee 


The first thing to do was to put away the sea-urchins 

that I collected at Goat Island. They had been too 

long out of preservative and were quite high, though 

not as bad as Bernard's crab { The urchins were very 
abundant on the mud layer in among the mangroves. Some 
had even crawled up onto the mangrove roots. When I 

went in for my swim I found it difficult to avoid step- 
ping onto them, in fact I did sit on a couple, but the 
mud was so soft and the urchin's spines so short and 

blunt that no damage was done. I found Norris flat on 
his back in considerable pain. He had apparently hurt 
himself lifting and carrying logs. We all hope for a 
quick recovery. Started for 2 Piccadilly Road for a 

late lunch. It proved to be a very late lunch because 

I lost myself and drove all over creation before finding 

a landmark that I could recognize. Finally found myself 
on the Spanish Town road and worked my way to Cross Roads 
from there. After lunch drove to Hope and had a good 
telk with Edwards and Dixon, mostly about termites. It 

was suggested that I meet the new Director, Jones, late 

of Trinidad. He was a welcome relief after my experience 
of 1937 with Barnes. This time I was asked to sit down 
and with Edwards, the three of us had a very pleasant and 
satisfactory discussion 
of the entomological prob- 
lems of the island. It is 
evident that Edwards will 
be encouraged to do some 
real research if he is so 
inclined and can probably 
get the funds to publish 
it in the station journal. 
Probably my imagination 
but there seems to be a 
better atmosphere about 
the office of the entomo- 
logist than there was at 
the time of my last visit. 
Made arrangements with 
Dixon to go out with him 
to see the major termite 
infestations in Kingston. 
In 1938, Dixon was made 
Senior Assistant and given 
the termites as his parti- 
cular problem. We will also 
try to get out onto the Pal- 
isadoes before I leave and 
W. B. Dixon. investigate a species that 


is living in the dead 
Acacia branches there. I left the station about 4 PM and 
drove home by way of 5 Cargill Ave. to call on the Woolers. 


At 


a 
a» (tae 


Mrs. Wooler was out for tea and dinner and Eleanor, 
now Mrs. John Blennerhassett, and Mannie were just 
leaving for some tennis. A letter from Marjorie was 
waiting for me and with that I departed for Piccadilly 
Road where I had orange juice in lieu of hot tea. Mar- 
jorie has been transferred, more or less permanently, 
to Frome, the location of the large sugar factory of 
the West India Sugar Co., Ltd. That means that I will 
work the region about Alley from Kingston or perhaps 
from Mendez Pen. I answered the note, asking for in- 
formation about stopping places in or near Sav-la-Mar. 
That would put me half way between Bluefields and Negril 
and J shall want to work both of those regions. 
Before dark, I wandered around the place and collect- 
ed five or six species of ants. Dinner about 8 and bed 
about 10. 


April 25. Left house at 7.30 and started for Annotto Bay. 
Just beyond Half Way Tree, took the left or old Stony 
Hill road which rums over Mammee Hill. Commenced road- 
side collecting as soon as I was away from dwellings. 
At a point about a mile below Bellevue I found two logs 
at the side of the road both of which had colonies of 

convexinotetus Snyd. When I had scooped 
the termites I could see many small brown larviform 
animals crawling about in the galleries. A series of 
about 70 specimens were taken and the species was later 
identified by H. G. Barber and H. Morrison as belong- 
ing to the genus Termitaspis (Heteroptera). As far as 
I know, this is the first termitophile to be taken on 
the islend. There was also a nest of Pheidole fallax 
var. ovalis Forel in the same logs. Moved on to a ford 
just above Bellevue and about 1 mile SE of Stony Hill. 
As the collecting proved quite good, I decided to stay 
there for the day. Just before reaching the ford, my 
eye fell on a peculiar carton nest up the bank from the 
road. It proved to be Nasutitermes but seemed out of 
place. It was about 14 inches in diameter, hemispher- 
ical and partly below ground. It enclosed a small 
stump. The species appears to be N. costalis and the 
ground habitat may be normal for this species. At the 
ford I took a good series of a tingid and various mis- 
cellaneous insects by sweeping. Under stones there were 
colonies of various species of ants, including Euponera, 
Odontomachus, Anochetus and Cyphomyrmex. Away from the 
road and along a path leading into the woods I fowd a 
very old log that contained larvae and adults of Macras- 
pis tetradactyla. After lunch I continued collecting 
until the rain became too hard and wet the foliage too 
much. Between showers I pushed on toward Ston Hida. 
stopping once at a small grove of cacao. Very little 


7 


to be found beneath the pods; they were either too green 
or too dry. Jumped across a small stream into a citrus 
grove where I took a few coccinellids by sweeping. Back 

: to town by way of Stony Hill and Constant Spring. Stopped 

( in at 5 Cargill Ave. for a very pleasant visit with Mrs. 
Wooler, which included tea and later a scotch and soda, 
Then back to Piccadilly Road for a bath and dinner. During 
dinner the phone rang and Mrs. Bovell was on the other end, 
She came over immediately and we went for a slow ride in 
her Austin, ending at Watts for a Cocomalt. I am invited 
to come to Mendez Pen at any time and to stay for as long 
as I care to. Also I am to write to Kensworth and invite 
myself for overnight when I go to Sav-La-Mar. Mrs. Bovell 
thinks that I should put off the west end trip for awhile 
because Marjorie may get a house and if she does that would 
be more pleasant than a guest house. She also told me of 
the bust up at Caymanas - P. A. was fired on six days notice. 
He didn't tell her for two days, by which time he had made 
such arrangements as he wished. He was to go to Derry with 
Marjorie, the Savariaus were to be transferred to Kensworth 
and Mrs. Bovell was to go to Mendez or any other place that 
appealed to her (except Derry). The thought that Marjorie 
would get a job of her own probably never entered his head. 
But she did and he has been alone now for two years. We 
parted company at 11 PM. 


April 26. Reached Hope at 9 AM and Edwards, Dixon and I started 
out to inspect termite infestations. First to the freight | 
docks where both Coptotermes and Heterotermes are working in 
the piling. While not confined to them, the outer piles 
show a much greater tendency to infestation than those nearer 
in shore. The location of the queen cell is in doubt; it 
does not seem possible that it can be on land and connected 
to the outer piles (nearly an eighth of a mile away) by tun- 
nels. Next to the bonded warehouse of Wray and Nephews. 

It is a long low building containing about a million gallons 
of rum, stored in vats holding 40,000 gallons each. The 
vats weigh about 25 tons a piece and are supported on a 
trestle made of 10 x 10 timbers, which have been heavily 
creosoted. These timbers are generally infested by Copto- 
termes and the problem of eradication is a difficult one. 

No poison may be used nor any insecticide with an odor that 
might be absorbed by the rum. No plan of campaign has been 
worked out yet. Then to the Low Temperature Station where 
the original infestation of Coptotermes was found. There 
was no sign of recent activity there and that colony is 
probably completely killed out. Dixon has a “eraveyard test" 
area on the lawn near the Station and examined many of the 
wood billets. Some of the hardwoods are showing immunity 


to Heterotermes. From there back to Hope where I had left 
my car and to Piccadilly Road for lunch. Just after 2 PM 


Bria 


P 4 
lie « * 
8 "se 
x 
_ "i 
1 


Mr. and Mrs. Edwards called for me and we started for > 
an overnight trip to the north shore. As we passed 
through Spanish Town I noticed that the King's House 
seemed to be rebuilt but later I learned that only the 
front wall and portico had been replaced. The repaired 
building is not nearly as picturesque as the ruins were — 
but the change was probably necessary in order to pre- 
serve whet was left. At Linstead we left the main road 
to visit a place that was infested with duck-eants. We 
found that a shed where box shakes were stored was well 
overrun with Nasutitermes (later identified as N. costa- 
lis). The colony had gained entrance beneath the sill * 
in the far corner and there was no carton nest to be | 
seen any where around. Then back on the main road, through 
Ewarton, to Moneague. Here we turned off to stop at the 
Moneague Hotel for a talk with the Commissioner of Edu- 
cation. After leaving the hotel we made no further stops 
until we reached Runaway Bay and Eaton Hall. We regis- 
tered and were assigned to rooms and immediately prepared 
for a swim. The water on the north shore is distinctly 
colder than that on the south and was really invigorating. 
After our swim we had beers around, then dinner and to 
bed early. 


April 27, Up at 6.50 for an early swim. The Edwards were 


to meet me in the water but they slept over and I paddled 
around the cove for an hour before I saw either of them. 
Then breakfast and afterwards I went out on the rocks to 
collect. Some ants and a sample of marine gastropods 
were all that I could find. Paid our bills (mine was 
twelve shillings and one and six for tips) and left for 
Seville, now a large coconut walk but originally the site 
of the first Roman Catholic cathedral (1505). The foun- 
dations have been cleared and in the center of the floor 
there is hole about six feet across and ten feet deep, 
carefull walled with brick, from which a passage leads 
away to the west. In this passage were found a dozen 
pieces of very beautifully carved stone, probably the 
remains of the altar. One piece has the coat-of-arms 
of the Bishop of Seville, the others are mostly angels 
and cherubims. No attempt has been made to explore the 
passage 3} These stones are now in a shed near Seville 
house but it is hoped that the owner will see fit to put 
them in the Institute. On the way out of the estate we 
collected a sample of the duck-ants that are ruining the 
few canes that Seville grows. The infestation is not a 
new one, if the old records can be interpreted to mean 
“white ants" when they read “ants". Very early Seville 
was abandoned by the Spaniards because of a plague of 
"ants" and the whole district was known as the "ants nest", 
Coconuts seem to get along all right but no quantity of 


TREO ee ee 
9 


canes can be grown in this region. From Seville we 
drove to the Edwards' new place near St. Ann's Bay 
where they are building a new sumner place on a low 
cliff overlooking the water, This particular cove 

is supposed to be where the Nina foundered and was 
called "Casa Nina" by the Spaniards. We went in for 
another swim but it was not particularly pleasant as 
there is no sand at all and the coral rock is very 
Sharp. Had lunch and did a bit of sweeping, getting 

a few good things. Also collected a sample of snails 
from the rocks. Right by the house there is the mouth 
of an underground stream and Edwards is trying to dig 
a channel from the sea to the mouth of this stream so 
that he will have a safe anchorage for a small boat. 

A great deal of blasting is involved and that seems to 
involve a large amount of red tape. It appears that 
at least two government officials must be present when 
dynamite is used anywhere on the island. We left at 

@ PM , headed for Ocho Rios. At White River I found 

a log on the beach which contained a colony of Hetero- 
termes convexinotatus but no termitophiles. We stopped 
again to make a short call on ir Hutchins, who was 
about to make a trip to Boston, his original home. He 
seemed like a nice chap and certainly has a nice place. 
Back across the island by way of Fern Gully. After 
going through Spanish Town we turned up the Sligoville 
road to another place of Edwards. This is a 500 acre 
pimento estate with a fair house. The collecting was 
reasonably good and I beat the shrubbery while Edwards 
tended to some business matters. Then back to Pacca- 
dilly Road, having left my fountain pen at Eaton Hall 
and my bathing trunks in Edwards' car. Had dinner and 
in the evening Bernard and Lucille called and we talked 
over the plans for the trip to Cinchona. Lewis can 
get in four days and perhaps Norris will come along. 
We will go there by way of Chestervale and Clydesdale, 
sending our duffle to Cinchona by: mule, while we walk. 
Lewis wants to look over the buildings at Clydesdale 
because they have an offer of one of them for a station. 
If it works out properly, Lynn, Buck and company will 
make it their headquarters when they come down later 
in the season. We will use the Forestry cabin at Cin- 
chona because Christopher Swabey will probably be in 
the party. 


April 28, Phone call early from Lewis that the new sea 
cow was dead and did I wish to do a post mortem on it, 
I finished labelling yesterday's catch and got ready 
to go down. Mrs. Dignum found that her car batteries 
were dead again (short circuit somewhere that hasn't been 
found) and I gave her a lift down town. Dropped her 


Seer > 


LO 


near the Institute. I found the manatee out of the 
tank and on a table under the windows of the library 
where the readers would get all the smells. I made 

the first incision as carefully as possible but the 

gas pressure was very strong and I didn't quite get 

out of the way. Bernard wanted to save the skeleton 

so I cut carefully and eventually laid open the ab- 
dominal cavity and cut away the diaphragm. The har- 
poon had gone in much deeper than we thought, driving 
through the lungs and into the abdominal cavity. The 
liver and spleen had both disintegrated and the lumgs 
were completely collapsed. A general postmortem was 

of course not possible but the stomach and the alimentary 
tract were opened and examined. The stomach contained 
a few nematodes, was otherwise empty. The small intes- 
tine was unusually cleen and contained only two nemas 
that probably represented postmortem migration from the 
stomach. The caeca were double, very short end clean. 
The colon was heavily infested, as was to be expected, 
with the amphistome fluke, Chiorchis fabaceus. While 

I was in the midst of the mess, a very pleasant young 
women in a spandy clean white dress appeared and wanted 
to help. Bernard introduced her as one of the science 
teachers and believe me she was a glutton for knowledge 
and no shirker of dirty work. She did her share til the 
job was over at 12.50 and I am sure that she regretted 
that the other animals in the zoo were all healthy. We 
washed in formaldehyde but the smell stayed on my hands 
for days. From the Institute I went to El Corte Ingles 
for a suit and white pants. Then to lunch at Piccadilly 
Road. Drove to Mendez Pen, arriving at about 3 PM. Mrs. 
Bovell found an old pair of pants and a polo shirt that 
belonged to Don. We walked over the property, getting 
into some of the thickest tangles of thorn bushes and 
high grass that I have seen on the island. The trees 
are small, mostly logwood with quite a good new grouth 
of lignum-viteae that Mrs Bovell is encouraging. By and 
large, for a cattle pen it is free from ticks as I found 
only one seed on me that night. There is good pasturage 
and the place pays enough so that the mortgage is being 
reduced regularly. Just at present everything was dry 
and there was no collecting. We talked til seven when 

I started back to Kingston. Got off the road at Span- 
ish Town and sew all the back roads in the place before 
I got back on the main road. Left main road at the 

turn to Half Way Tree and so to Piccadilly Road. A good 
dinner at eight and to bed early. Tomorrow Dixon and 

I plan to do some termite inspection at the Institute 
and elsewhere. 


11 


April 29. Raining softly when I woke up and the bad 
weather continued nearly until noon. After lunch 
I went to Hope to meet Dixon and before starting 
out we looked at some of the new buildings on the 


New Insectary at Hope. 


station grounds. there is a new insectary that will 
help to stimulate rearing work and there are two 


Termite Control Demonstration buildings. 


small houses so constructed as to show good and bad 
practices in reference to termite infestation and 
control. For instance, each foundation post is dif- 


12 


ferently constructed and a small label nearby tells why 
the construction is good or bad. The sides of the buil- 
dings have been used to demonstrate different surface 
finishes and in each case a statement showing cost per 
gallon, coverage per gallon and cost per square foot is 
given, with remarks on the effectiveness of the finish, 

After viewing the buildings, we started out, going 
first to the Institute. While Dixon traced an infesta-= 
tion of Coptotermes havilandi from basement to attic of 
the old building, Lewis and I talked over plans for the 
Cinchona trip. He will see Swabey this afternoon and try 
to set a date. I also had time to do a little more buy- 
ing at El Corte Ingles before Dixon was ready to go back. 
He dropped me at Piccadilly Road for lunch. After lunch 
I took a tram to Hope to get my car, left there in the 
morning. It took nearly an hour to get from Piccadilly 
Road to Hope by tram, whereas by car I make it in twelve 
minutes. With the car, I ran up the old Stony Hill road 
to the ford. Sweeping was pretty good along the road- 
side; took a Palaminus and some other staphylinids as 
well as some ants. Went back to Piccadilly Road in time 
to have a bath before dinner. Bed early. 


April 50. Good Gravy, what a night last night was ! Lewis 


came late, on his way to another engagement. Weather per- 
mitting, we were to go to Cuna Cuna today and to Cinchona 
a week from today. Both Lewis and Swabey can go if the 
trip is put off until then. After Lewis left, a local 
enthusiast appeared with a collection of poorly spread 
and completely unlabelled butterflies and a few other in- 
sects. He had a specimen of Triatoma but nothing else 
that interested me. He talked on and on until 11.45. 

Rain had started about 10.30 and kept up until early morn- 
ing, coming in very hard gusts. About midnight the tele- 
phone reng, announcing the death in childbirth of Evers- 
ley's sister, Corita. Mrs. Dignum felt that she had to 
go over to stay with Corita'ts mother and the rest of us, 
unable to be of any help, went to bed. The rain had driven 
the mosquitoes in and I tossed about until nearly dawn. 
Mrs. Dignum came home about 6.30 AM and set about to make 
six dozen chicken and shrimp patties and about 500 hors 
dtoeuvres for a wedding, these to be ready by noon. Mrs. 
Bovell called to make sure that I had not gone up into 
the hills and was washed away. Lewis called to cancel 
the trip to Cuna Cuna as some of the roads are sure to 

be washed out. the rain continued off and on all day. 
Bathed and changed for dimer. At about 8.30 Bernard 

and Lucille came for me and we went to see Pygmalion. 

As they had both been up until three (they live with 
Eversley), both slept more orf less through the picture. 


13 


May 1. Left Piccadilly Road at 8.50 to go to Hope. Dixon 
was just leaving for home; he was apparently coming down 
with measles. Edwards was late and at 9.10 I went to 
his home where I found him supervising some construc- 
tion about the place. He is apparently dabbling in 
real estate. In 1957, he was living partly at the Pa- 
goda (burned down this spring) and partly in the house 
on Hope Road next door to the place he is in now. Then 
they were busy repairing that house and as soon as it 
was in good livable condition they rented it and took 
over the present place, also greatly in need of repair. 

Further they have 

bought the place 

on the north shore 

and the pimento es- 

tate near Sligoville 

Nes. Edwards found 

my bathing trunks 

and verified my sus- 
picion that the pen 
had been left at 

Eaton Hall. Saying 

Good-bye, I started 

for Annotto Bay, 

this time by the 
good road through 

Constant Spring. 

A mile beyond Stony 

Hill I stopped at a 

banana walk where 

there were several 
banana stalks down 
on the ground and 

partly decayed. 

Collecting was very 

good. Took a few 

ants, some staphy- 
linids and Metama- 
Ripe mangoes. sius. Also took 
specimens of the 
giant histerid, Plesius javanus, a predatory species re- 
cently introduced into the island for the control of the 

banana borer. Later when I reported the capture to Dix- 

on, he told me that after repeated failures in their 

attempts to establish the species on the island, the 
colony planted near Stony Hill had taken hold and that 
this year, more specimens had been recovered there than 
had been planted out originally. We hope that the Ple- 

Sius controls the Metamasius before the Panama disease 

wipes out the banana, Moved on but did not stop at 

Castleton Gardens as there were several bus loads of 


| 14 


tourists in. At the last fork in the road, I turned left 

to Port Maria instead of going on to Annotto Bay. I had 
decided to collect along the shore road between Port Maria 
and Runaway Bay and to stop at Eaton Hall to recover my pen, 
Collecting was best at Dunn's River, so I stopped there _ 
to eat lunch. then on to Eaton Hall where I found my pen 
waiting for me. At about 2.30 I started back, turning at 
Ocho Rios. Near Lime Hall I picked up a colored physician 
who was waiting for a bus to take him to Linstead. He was 
pleasant and quite talkative, confining his remarks to the 
war, its causes and effects, and the probable chance that 
the U. S. A. would eventually take over Jamaica. He was 

all for it. I said as little as possible but in general 
agreed with his observations. In fact, most of the natives 
that I have talked with feel strongly that the island would 
be better off if attached to us. Store clerks in the stores 
are very solicitous when they learn that I am from the U. S. 
but that is of course front. It would be treason to say 
anything that might in any way postpone our entry into the 
war. The English say little about the possibility of the 
secession of the island to the U. S. but I am sure that 
they will all oppose it. After dropping him at Linstead, 

I was immediately picked up by the police for inspection 

of my driver's permit. This, I understand, is routine and 
may happen at any time. Back in Half Way Tree without inci- 
cents where I stopped at the Wooler's to say that I would 
be in town next Sunday and would be pleased to go there for 
tea and dinner. Then to Piccadilly Road for a bath. There 
was a letter from Lucy waiting for me that had come from 
South Hadley to Kingston in 28 hours. That seems to me to 
be remarkably fast service. Bernard brought it from the 
Institute and left word that we will go to Portland Ridge 

on Saturday. Mrs. Dignum showed me a chair that was infest- 
ed with Cryptotermes brevis (Walk.) and allowed me to cut 
away sufficient wood to get at the colony. I recovered a 
series of workers and one soldier. The "crazy ants" fol- 
lowed me right into the burrows and the next morning the 
colony seemed completely destroyed. 


May 2. A light rain on the plain and could see heavy rains 
in the hills. Went down to the Institute and found that 
“Lady Nugent's Journal" has been reprinted with extensive 
notes by Frank Cundall and is available for seven and six 
so I bought a copy. Also Lewis gave me a copy of "Mosquit- 
oes of Jamaica” that I will turn in to the Division library 
or give to Alan Stone. Sherlock and Lewis urged me to give 
a talk some evening to the Institute's membership on any 
subject that I might pick. I agreed to speak on "Biological 
Control" but not until I have returned from Sav-La-Mar. Lack 
of lantern slides will handicap me and it may not go well. 


iin iain aaa 


15 


Worked over my notes and specimens in the afternoon. 
Reached Edwards' place at 6.50 and found several guests 
already assembled. Jones and his wife were there and 

we all talked over our cocktails. Later Pomeroy and 

his daughter appeared and the rest of the evening was 
spent listening to him and looking at the Kodachrome 
moving pictures (mostly underexposed and all of local 
interest). I remember that in 1937 I was also afflicted 
with Pomeroy under the same circumstances. At eight we 
all departed and I had dinner at Piccadilly Road. 


May 3. Bernard called for me at 7 AM and we started for 
Portland Ridge for the day. 
He is looking for sizable 
deposits of bat guano as a 
source of phosphate and he 
also has a line on a bauxite 
deposit. We took the main 
road to Old Harbour, then the 
first left to Alley and around 
the bay nearly to the point. 
Just beyond the sign post "To 
the Cave" we parked the car in 
the bush near a path up to the 
top of the ridge. The rock is 
honeycomb, like that on Goat 
Island and the vegetation is 
guite similar. Started up the 
path, packing our supplies on 
our backs. Made two collec- 
tions of Nasutitermes along 
the path, one colony living in 
a carton nest in a tree beside 
the path and the other coming 
from a hole in the ground, 

C. Bernard Lewis Half way up I took a sample of 

Nasutitermes from under bark 

of a small standing dead tree, in the sound wood of which 
I found a fine colony of a Cryptotermes, different from 
Cryptotermes brevis Walk. As the species is certainly new 
to the island and perhaps new to science, I cut out and 
saved a piece of the wood showing the galleries. We missed 
the turn off for the cave and climbed nearly to the top of 
the ridge. While Bernard scouted around to locate the 
opening of the cave, I cut down and dissected a bromeliad, 
finding a few crustaceans similar to Asellus and one cater- 
pillar. Also opened a standing dead tree and found colonies 
of two different species of Kalotermes. There was a small 
scorpion under the bark which I got. In the meantime, the 
mouth of the cave had been located and we started back down. 
The cave is the largest that I have ever been in, about 


16 : 


450 feet long, 150 feet wide and perhaps 70 feet to 
the highest point of the roof. It was open at both 
ends and there were at least three small holes in the 
roof, <A large mass had fallen from the roof recently, 

i | probably in the 1906 earthquake. I felt too tired to 
wriggle my way into the tiny bat caves that open out 
of the large cave so I sat on a stalagmite and waited 
for Bernard to get his work done. While sitting there 
I looked back over my shoulder and there about 20 feet 
behind me was a something. It was perhaps 18 inches 
high, somewhat dome-shaped, with two large, shining 
eyes. Behind it was another and still behind, a third. 
I hesitated, then picking up my cutlass, I walked toward 
the first one, expecting it to run or fly. I thought 
of the large nighthawk-like bird that lives on the is- 
land. It didn't move and when I reached it, it was only 
a piece of honeycomb rock with water-filled cavities for 
eyes. I afterward described it to a black and asked him 
if he thought it could have been a “duppy". He felt 
sure that it was and that it had merely changed itself 
to stone when I moved toward it. So I have seen a “duppy". 
It was lunch time when Bernard was through with the bat 
caves and we chose to eat in the mouth of the cave, 
I collected several species of ants while we were eat- 
ing, some were forageing awey from their colonies, and 
some from a colony in a dead log. These last were very 
large, very red and very pugnacious. Bernard had anoth- 
er cave to enter and I started back to find the path and 
my net and bottles that I had cached before going into. 
the big cave. Instead of finding the net, I found a — 
dead tree with colonies of both Cryptotermes and Kalo- 
termes. By the time those were collected, Bernard had 
come and he found the cache easily and we went down. 
We got out eight fence posts to be used in the Institute 
garden, thereby saving the Institute Six shillings. Then 
we drove on to a fishing camp to get a supply of manatee 
grass to feed to the manatee at the Zoo. While talking 
to the fishermen, a scorpion in Bernard's pant leg stung 
him four times. We pickled the scorpion, a medium sized 
one and almost certainly the mate of the one that we — 
had taken earlier in the day. We waited with some anx- 
iety to find out what the effect of the sting would be. 
Fortunately, this species is not very toxic and in an 
hour most of the pain and swelling had subsided. We got 
the grass and drove back, reaching Kingston at about 8. 
I took a much needed bath and had dinner. We sat on the 

porch for awhile and talked before going to bed. Tomor- 

row is Sunday and I planned to rest for the Pia s trip 
had pulled me down a bit. 


——_ on a nt ae 


17 


May 4. Today was a lazy day. It rained off and on 
and when it didn't rain it was very sultry. Put 
away the material that I collected yesterday and 
wrote up my notes. In the afternoon went around to 
the Wooler's. Eleanor and Hazel were both there 
with their husbands. LHEleanor's husband, John Blen- 
nerhassett, is in the Immigration Service and has 
to be at Port Royal three days a week, so Eleanor 
("Toots") lives with her mother where there is room 
for John when he is off duty. Hazel married James 
Walker, at present serving at the internment camp 

asa guard. He is guite interested in butterflies 

and when his collection is installed in his new ma- 
hogany cabinet, I am invited to come over and see it. 

Also present was an elderly M.D., who seemed to me 

to be somewhat of an ass. Rumour has it that Mrs. 

Wooler is going to marry him; that seems too bad. 

We had tea (iced tea had been prepared for my special 

benefit), later the inevitable scotch and soda was 

served and dinner was called at 8.30. Went home to 

bed about 10. 


May 5. Went back this morning to our old station on 


Ferry River, above the Spanish Town road. 


Ferry River. Can see no change since 1937. Even 
the old abandoned wagon at the end of the road is 
still there, a little more rusted perhaps. Found 
good sweeping in the pasture at the right of the 
road and took a series of a Chrysops and some small 
bees. Also a sample of a colony of Nasutitermes 
living in a log. Along the road I took a nice Lycid 


a 
18 


and a cerambycid that I do not remember of seeing before. 
At the sharp bend of the road just beyond the spot where 
I park the car I saw a scarab flying rather high. It 
eventually came low enough to net and proved to be a 
Gymnetis that I had not taken previously. (After my 
return to Washington I identified it as Gymnetis spence, 
one of the two described Jamaican species that I failed 
to get in 1937). Other specimens of it were seen but all 
out of reach of the net. I returned to Cross Roads for 
lunch and a rest. Later visits to the locality for more 
specimens of it were indicated. In the afternoon I was 
persuaded to join Faith, Helen Lake, and Dick in a game 
of tennis. Both Dick and myself were hopelessly out of 
practice and our partners were not very helpful because 
they were laughing so heartily at our earnest endeavors. 
Helen Lake is the 19 year old daughter of an englishman 
and a Brooklyn, N.Y. american; is a devotee of Kreisler, 
prefers Beethoven, talks like a real person and is about 
to enter McGill University in the fall. 


May 6. Bernard, Lucille, Willie and I started early for 
Cornpuss Gap (usually but erroneously called Cuma Cuna 
Pass). We went in Bernard's car, Willie and I in the 
rumble, following the shore road to Morant Bay. There 
we turned inland and cut across to Bath. At my sugges- 
tion we pushed on beyond to our old collecting spot at 
the Plantain Garden and Indian Cony rivers. It was all 
different! The cattle pen was now in cane and the remains 
of the silk-cotton tree that yielded so much to Dick and 
me in 1937 had rotted almost completely away and what did 
remain was almost hidden in the cane. However we did find 
some good collecting in.a pile of banana trash near the 
ford. Then back to Bath and up the road that Dick and I 
took in 57 but this time we went much farther. We left 
the car at the shed belonging tao the United Fruit Co. 
and continued on foot. The heavy rains of the last week 
had loosened the soil and there were five sizable land 
Slips that had almost obliterated the narrow footpath 
that hugs the side of the mountain. We got through all 
right except for muddy feet. It was raining steadily, 
sometimes quite hard, and in general our spirits were 
not too high. Collecting was possible only in the dead 
trees, both standing and fallen, and we took some good 
termites and ants and one very nice weevil. The scenery 
in the pass is magnificent, with the John Crows rising 
high on the right and the Blues over the valley at the 
left. Ona clear day it would be one grand place to be. 
The rain finally drove us in and we returned to Kingston 
by way of Port Morant, very tired. Bath before dinner 
at 8.30, bed at 9.30. 


19 


May 7. Iwas very stiff and lame this morning when I got 
up, some of which could be blamed on the bad weather 
of yesterday but most to the long day in the rumble seat, 
I spent the morning transferring my entire catch to the 
large vials, packing them for transportation to Washing- 
ton and refilling the smaller vials for reuse in the 
field. In the afternoon went into Kingston to get more 
money from the Royal Bank of Canada. Afterward I went 
to the Myrtle Bank for a swim which made me feel much 
better. Had an early dinner and went to bed early. 


May 8 First thing in the morning I wrote letters to 
Clara and Lucy and also one to Mary Savariau in which 
I suggested that I might spend the night at Kensworth 
on the 14th. Took net and went back to Ferry River 
where I took another of the Scarabs as well as several 
other good things. Am still lame and very glad the trip 
to Cinchona has had to be postponed a day. Lewis can't 
get away and Swabey's wife became ill yesterday and he 
doesn't dare leave Kingston. Still raining hard in the 
mountains. Another swim and sun bath. 


May 9. Lewis called early to say that we would meet at 


Forester's cabin at Cinchona (C. B. Lewis). 


his house at 8 AM. We were delayed by nails in Lucille's 
shoes and didn't start until 8.30. We stopped en route 
to buy gasoline, flashlight cells, cigarettes and to 
pick up the mule hampers and blankets at Swabey's. He 


will not be able to go as his wife is no better. 

In addition to what we expected to take he had two 

live ducks to go to the caretaker at Cinchona. We 

put a duck in each hamper and started for Newcastle. 

It is only thirteen miles from Gordon Town to Newcas- 
tle but with more than 500 hairpin turns in the road 

it takes a full hour to drive. We stopped just beyond 
the barracks to enjoy the view of Kingston far below 
and then pushed on through Hardware Gap and Silver Hill 
Gap to Chestervale. Here the mule was waiting and after 
some dickering, we transferred the hampers, now con- 
taining the bedding and food, to the mule and with the 
ducks under our arms we started on foot for Clydesdale. 
That is a very easy walk with very little change in 
altitude. Hach time we crossed water the ducks raised 
a howl so we let them wet their feet and take a drink 
at each place. Collected along the path as we went, 
getting a few good things. Stopped at Clydesdale for 
lunch and for Lewis to go over one of the houses that 
is to be turned over to the Johns Hopkins bunch next 
month for a field headquarters. Anchored the ducks 

in the Clyde River which seemed to please them very 
much. There was an abundance of yellow raspberries, 

a species native to the Himalayas and which grows well 
in the Blue mountains at altitudes above 4,000 feet. 
Left Clydesdale at 2 PM for the last mile and a half 
to Cinchona. It's a very hard climb along a mule path 
bordered with yellow raspberries and a very large 
species of bracken. I had to lie down at the side of the 
path several times before we finally reached Cinchona, 
more than a thousand feet above Clydesdale. Reached 
there about 3.50 and Lucille had a fine meal ready at 
4. It certainly tasted good. The caretaker had the 
fire in the fireplace and in the cookstove going and 

a good supply of wood handy by. The mule and boy had 
come and gone, leaving our dumage in the front vesti- 
bule. After eating we cut stakes to set up the trap 
light which we placed in a hollow where it could not 
be seen from the sea. Then we made beds and settled 
ourselves for a few days. The fire in the cookstove 
had gone out by this time and because of the dampness 
in the wood we had a bad time starting another. Got. 
it going eventually and had dinner at about 9.30. 
Shortly thereafter we finished clearing away the dishes 
and went to bed. The cabin is in the midst of what was 
once the Botanic Garden and the scenery is magnificent. 
The cabin faces south and from the front door one may 
see Kingston and Kingston harbor through a gap in the 
Port Royal mountains, 5,000 feet below. 


Mossman's Peak, from Cinchona. 


Photo by Norris. 


Te 


f 


A a 


4 


= ~ 

O21 5D ol ? . . : eee we re ° oa te ie a ~ a ak ere. nee oeiee ere a i Eakin all p : 

A eee ee on 4 - ~; s be bal i - ee r 

i SRS ee ere er - ee ee a eR vege ee URI: te ONES ge > gr a Ee er ee Re Om EE te om 


A ite. “Tr8 re. ' a AT Zi - Y ont yt oe - c — “t 4 = ries Sie *y pe sy ~ r “aN wo +4 re a es od ees’ ae “+ 7e A 
Thy £ OR? AT am % Oi Lite dsb e Util i i dhe RMU bond Wy Tea: £ Wz J Pu Padi. 
: Seo if 7 7 ed ad + fy og " Se ee et eee ee 


Durin: tue wee: of Aurust 25th, 1940, a oarty of seven. 


teen took pvart in a field triy sxonsorec by the Institute of Jdameica. 


- 


That party of people has formed the nucleus of the xatural History 


-Society of Jamaica which row numbers 35 members, Realising that no 


exverts on the Jamaican flora and fauna were available, the objects of 
the field trip were to poolmwformation and to learn toxsthcr, =. . 

Dh! The Great House and the Coffee House at Clydesdale served 
as headquarters for a full week of Nature Study, The valley of the Olye 
River and the Blue Moun yg*p regions of Cinchona, New Haven Gap, Morce's 
Cap and Silver Hill, were explored. and collections of the flora. and 
fauna were made, Mr. C,S3wabey, the Conservator of Forests, guided the 
field work and discussions for a full day devoted to the study of. soil 
erosion and congervation, | | 

| Resulting from the enthusiasm shown by those wha partici- 
nated in this first. venture, a meeting was held at the Institute on 
Seotember 17th, 1940 te discuss future undertakings, Av that time it was 
unanimously decided to form a Society, and it was arrced that regular) 
field trips would be degirable anc useful, especially for Science 
teachers, bee 

A second field trip was sponsored by the Institute of 

Jamaica, from January 2nd to Sth, in conjunction with the inaugural 
mocting of the Society which took place on the evening of January 4th. 
Mr, Fraser, the Hoadmastcr of Munro College, very kindly oiferec: the 
facilitics of the School as headquarters Tor this programme, 

Foundation members ars those persons who were present at 
tic inaugural meeting: Mr, and Mrs. C,B,Lewis, Misses M. and I, Jerfirey 
Smith, DRainforth, 0, and Z,Saxtcr, V,%hsvannes, D,Alexander, : B.Drevw, 
NwMNash, M,Davson, C,Coolec, L,Scucamore, Messrs, R,P,Bengry, W,M.snce, 
J,C.Jury, C.Swaboy, D,Burrowes, and #,fai, ~- Mr, Raymond Philipsen, of 
tie British Muscum (Nat, Hist. } who visited Jamaiea with the Cambridse 
Univorsity Expedition in 1939, was also clected a foundatiom member, 

i, The objcct of the new Soolcty is the encouragement and * 
advancement of the study of Natural History la Jamaica, The constitution 
or the Society is tiven on the membership card, | : 


ANS WOR 3 MM Q 
PL: ‘fs) il OR SU: i oe 
ER Re RRR Ree entree Be ae Oe ae 
LQO OO A A I TD 


“Ie are »oroposing to hold a Nature Study Camp with head- 
cuarters at Clydesdale, duriig the last two weeks of Auvust, Actually, we 
hooe that this camp will come to be an annual fixture which will ccvelop 
a useful vrovramie of study furthering the aims af the Society," °>" <>. - 

.. Glydesdale seems to be a very suitasle sot for. the, camp 
for sovoral reagons:- (1) It is removed from settlements yet it is. fairly 
aceessizle and can be avproached, to within a mile, by car. (2) Accammoda 
tion is fairly substantial. (3) The valley of thg Clyde River is provavly 
the best wooded in the Blue Mountzin area. (4) The heait-ef the Blue Moun 
tains can easily be reached from Clydesdale, (5) The Clyde River provides 
water for drinking and bathing as well as an ooportunity for the study of 
acuatic lifs. (6) The problems of erosion anc soil conservation are.well 
illustrateé in the region, (7) The climate is cool and invigorating. 

| ‘The prosramme will include much field work, talks by, the 


members, ond discussion #%roups, Uccassionally visiting sqicntists may ve 


jnduecec to spoak and to take a jcneral part in the prozramne, We hops. that 
rescarch studies ean be developed, ana we inbead to set tejether sone . 
scisnutific apvaratus With this ena i: vio. : aay: 

The Executive Committce will be very glad to have the vicws 
of members resarding the summer camp proposals, 


a. ae 
. r x) 
ey 
oA a 
/ = 
, bh '] > 
i 
“% 


22 


Mey 10. Up at 6,30 to write up notes and label specimens 
taken yesterday. A good breakfast was served by Lucille 
and after clearing away, we all started for Monkey Hill 
by way of New Haven Gap. The trails have been nicely 
bushed out, thanks to an arrangment of Swabey's and the 
walking was very good, always up, of course. Near the 
cabin we passed through a long avenue of pine trees, 
apparently several species. Some of the trees had died 
and their stumps were inhabited by a species of Kalo- 
termes, just ready to swarm. I took good series, inclu- 
ding winged adults and soldiers. The weather was fine 
when we started but as we gained altitude the clouds 
beceme heavier. Yellow raspberries were frequent along 
the trail, as they had been below Cinchona. On the last 
ridge, half a mile from New Haven Gap the rain commenced 
and it was soon necessary to take shelter under the 
braken ferns at the side of the trail. The rain came 
harder and harder and we finally gave up and turned back, 
soaked to the skin and a bit chilly. At just under 6000 
feet I took two dealated termites in a cavity in a hard 
dead tree trunk, my highest record for any termite on 
the island. It was raining too hard to collect on the way 
back so we almost ran back to the cabin. Changed to 
dry clothing and played cards until dinner. While Lucille 
got dinner, we took all of the wet clothing and dried it 
before the open fire in the front room. Bed early. 


May ll. Up at 6 for breekfast and an early start along 
the trail to Morces Gap. First stop was to strip the 
bark from a fallen tree; nothing of interest except a 
colony of a small black ant. A little farther on there 
was a standing dead stump which was full of termites, 
Neotermes sp. We cut it to pieces and were doing quite 
well by ourselves when Bernard cut his fingers on my 
cutlass. He went back to the cabin for iodine and I 
stayed to work over the stump thoroughly. Found a few 
soldiers. Before Bernard returned, I moved on to a 
second and similer stump which contained more of the 
same kind of termite. However, could find no soldiers 
in the second colony. By the time I finished there, - 
Bernard came back and we worked along the path, turning 
stones. Poor collecting, one carabid and two roaches. 
We stopped for a time at the entrance to a glen and 
after clearing away a rank grouth of ginger lilies, 
we found the collecting in the leaf cover fairly good. 
Took a series of a dark chestnut brown amphipod. another 
carabid, a very beautiful coral-red and black lycid lar-~ 
va and some roaches. Farther on along the trail we 
found a place where there was a scorpion under almost 
every stone. Then the rain started and we turned back. 
EFroke camp and got away at 5.30, reaching the car at 


Chestervale at 7, just as it became dark. The drive 

cown the road from Newcastle to Gordontown was both exciting 
and beautiful, with Kingston right at our feet all of the 
waye Reached Piccadilly Road at 9.30, had a bath and went 
to bed. 


High Peak (The Peaks at extreme right) from Cinchona. 


May 12. Much too lame to do any strenuous work today. 
Put away the Cinchona catch, wrote up my notes and a 
letter to Clara. In the afternoon, went to the Myrtle 
Bank for a swim. In the evening before dinner the porch 
at 2 Piccadilly was full of visitors and I escaped by 
driving over to Swabey's with Bernard to return keys to 
Clydesdale, hampers, etc. Swabey's wife still on danger 
list. Back to the house for dinner and early bed. 


May 15. Woke up feeling good, hardly lame at all. After 
breakfast drove to Ferry River for a morning of collect- 
ing. Took two more of the scarabs, some orthoptera, bees, 
Chrysops etc. After lunch went to Hope and made arrang- 
ment with Edwards to hang some traps at Highgate where 
there is some star-apple. Then to the Institute where 
Lewis and I went over the insect collection. It is in 
very bad shape but there is much that is worth salvaging. 
Lack of definite locality labels is the chief fault, out- 
side of the damage from dermestids, In the evening, Bernard 
came over and I answered questions as best I could on the 
collection and preservation of the various groups of insects. 
Bed about ten. Tomorrow I go to Kensworth. 


t 


24 


May 14. Started for Kensworth at eight o'clock. Stopped 
at Mendez Pen to tell Mrs. Bovell my plans. She may 
come to Frome later on but can't get away now. Left 
Mendez at 9.30 and drove straight through to Kensworth 
(except once when I lost my way) and reached there at 
11.50. Had a very pleasant reunion with the Savariaus. 


Miss Mary and Miss Hermance. 


Hermance is now 84 
and Maix 74, both in 
very good health. 
They are quite lonely 
and welcome visitors. 
We had a nice lunch 
and while they took 
their afternoon naps 
I did some collecting 
in front of the house 
near the grapefruit 
orchard. Came back 
to the house at 3.30 
for tea, just as the 
rain started. It cone 
tinued to rain all 
night, with a heavy 
fog. The peenies 
flew continuously in 
the rain and many 
were attracted to my 
cigarette. I could 
see the reddish ven- 
tral light plainly, 
especially when one 
flew low over the 
porch floor, We all 
went to bed early 


and I slept well in spite of a few peenies that got in 
to the room and zoomed about with all lights on. 


May 15. Started for Sav-La-Mar at eight thirty, stopping 
in Newport for nine gallons of gasoline. Went on by way 
of Knockpatrick, Spur Tree, Santa Cruz, Lacovia and the 
bamboo walk, Luana, Speculetion and Bluefields. Stopped 
to collect just east of Santa Cruz where I took termites 
and tenebrionids. Also some Aleocharines in soft fungus 
on log. Stopped again for lunch and to collect at Blue- 
fields Bay. After lunch, drove directly to Frome and 
found Marjorie. She hadn't changed a bit in four years 
and I flagged her down as she went by in a car. She turned 
back to Fontabelle, where she is living, and we talked 
for half an hour after which she returned to work and i 
went to SaveLa-Mar to find a place to stay. Was accepted 
at Windsor, where I settled my belongings and had a shave 


25 


and wash, wrote up notes to date and put away the 
specimens taken along the way. Started back to Frome 
at 4.15 for tea and dinner with Marjorie. She and @ 


a 


Fontabelle Great House, Frome, 


young girl, Joan Whittaker, have Fontabelle all to 
themselves at present but it is intended that the house 
will be eventually remodeled a the woman's dormitory for ¢h 
the whole compound. After tea we wandered over the grounds 
(it was once the rectory of the district and is beauti- 
fully landscaped with palms, etc.). The Frome plant of 
the West India Sugar Co. is a "central"; that is, it 

mills cane for the small growers over a considerable 

area, Its capacity is many times more than Caymanas. 


26 


Marjorie is the assistant agronomist and, according 
to Miss Hermanse, draws four hundred pounds a year 
which is a very good wage on the island. Joan went 
elsewhere for dinner and Marjorie and I dined alone. 
We talked about sugar, the future of civilization, 
art and books until 10 PM. I found my way back to 

Windsor where I stirred up all of the dogs. Bed, 


May 16. Started about 8.30 for Bluefields Bay. First 
ran a mile or so up the Beeston Springs road to a 
good parking space. Collected in dead stumps and 
under rocks, getting good series of several species 
of termites. One large stump was heavily infested 


House at Bluefields Bay, perhaps that of P. A. Gosse. 


with a kalotermitid, perhaps Neotermes castaneus,. 

I collected for myself until I had pickled a good 
series and then I let the lizards have what was left. 
Four or five small lizards came up onto the stump and 
kept just out of the way of my cutlass, snatching the 
termites almost out of my fingers. Further up on the 
hill I found a nice colony of Cryptotermes with queen 
and also one of Nasutitermes, also with queen. . Then 
down to the main road where I could see a house that 
is probably the one in which P. A. Gosse lived about 
1850. It is now the Bluefields Hotel. Ate lunch on 
the sea wall and collected along the road until 2.30 
when it started to rain. Returned to Windsor to put 
up catch and write notes. Continued to rain. Had tea 
and dinner at Windsor and ran out to Frome about 8 to 


a — 
% 


ev 


call. A nice visit with Marjorie and Joan. Joan is 
secretary to one of the company officials and fits my 
conception of a dizzy blonde. Incidently, Marjorie 
nearly married Joan's father last year. | 


May 17. Slept until 7.30. Breakfast. I don't think that 
I can go on drinking the water. It is boiled over an 
open fire of logwood and it absorbs odors (very bad ones) 
from the decayed spots on the wood. Lime juice covers it 
fairly well so I will try to get limeade instead of plain 
boiled water. Spent the morning in the pasture back of 
Windsor. Not much to collect; Nasutitermes abundant and 
several species of ants. Badly stung by Solenopsis. 
Rained in the afternoon and my hand swelled so that I 
couldn't use it. Went over to Frome for tea and we had 
a fine time taking the medical situation on the island 
to pieces. I told her of Corita's death and she told me 
that it was not at all unusual, citing similar cases from 
among her own friends. No matter how well trained and en- 
thusiastic a young medico is when he comes from England, 
in a couple of years he has settled back into a rut of 
complacency and indifference. "Fatty degeneration of the 
brain and sheer laziness" is her explanation of the situa- 
tion. Joan and George (one of the bachelor Company officials 
left for a dance after dinner and Marjorie and I continued 
our discussion of social conditions until 10, when I left. 


May 18. Weather was perfect and with a basket of lunch pre- 
pared at Frome, we started for the north shore for a swim. 
First to Lucea and then on nearly to Green Island. Few 
beaches and the good ones thickly populated with blacks 
minus bathing suits. Turned back and drove to Montego Bay 
and on to Falmouth where we ate lunch. Decided to go to 

Eaton Hall for our swim and reached there at 2.15. Spoke 
for dinner to be served at 5 and went into the water. 
North shore is perfect swimming water, not too hot and not 
at all cold. lLuxuriated for a couple of hours, dressed, 
dined and started for Frome at about 6.15 and reached there 
at 9.50. Stopped for a glass of sherry and discovered that 
P. A. Bovell, Jim and a friend had called on Marjorie that 
day. Mrs. Bovell knew our plans and she tried to stop P. A. 
but without success. Collected a series of Dyscinetus on 
the porch under the light. Left at 10 for Windsor. 


May 19. Took lunch and started for Negril Point with admoni- 
tions to look at and admire Negril Beach. Country very 
poor for collecting, flat, dry and given over to logwood. 
Took series of Solenopsis (without getting stung) and of 
Nasutitermes. The colony of Solenopsis was living in an 
abandoned termitarium of Nasutitermes, built near the 
ground. Back to Sheffield, giving a lift to a black who 


28 


was evidently anxious to see the U. S. take over the 
island. At Sheffield turned 
north on the Green Island road 
and then to Lucea. Negril beach 
is very beautiful to look at but 
I am told that there is no depth 
of water until one goes out at 
least a quarter mile so the swin- 
ming is not good. Lucea to Sav- 
la-Mar, stopping along the road 
to collect. Bath. Dinner at 
Fontabelle, bed at 10.15. 


May 20. Went back to Bluefields 
Bay. Stopped just beyond the 
limits of Savela-Mar to chop into 
some logs. Found Zoraptera and 
ants. At Bluefields Bay, spent 
morning sweeping foliage along 
roadsides. Coccinellids, tingids 
etc.j% mostly on Lantana. Series 
of Pseudomyrma running on trunk 
of large Coccoloba uvifera. In 
very old and long dead stump was 
a colony of Termes sp. Also col- 
ony of a Kalotermes. In another 
stump (Coccoloba) a colony of 
Marjorie L. R. Bovell. Cryptotermes, apparently not C. 

brevis. Rain started about 2.30 
I went back to Windsor to clean up and put away my catch 
and then went to Fontabelle for dinner. Marjorie was in 
town and after banging on the door futilely I put my mouth 
close to the slats and called "Mabel". There was a scurry 
and a giggle and the door opened. "Hello, Doc, I'm Cookie. 
Mabel's busy." ‘Then, from the kitchen, "Hi, Doc, have some 
beer 7", I declined and asked after the refrigerator. | 
Cookie said cheerfully, "It seems she has done gone bust." 
I heard George say that a new Westinghouse had been ordered 
for Fontabelle so they will have relief eventually. Dinner 
and a pleasant though somber evening as I leave for Kings- 
ton tomorrow. 


May 21. Packed, paid bill of three guineas and left Windsor 
without regret. Ran out the Negril road for one last try. 
Took some heteroptera that seemed new to me. Stopped at 
Fontabelle to leave supply of bottles and ethyl acetate. 
Said final Goodbyes and started for Kensworth. Reached 
there at 4.45, had tea and supper and talked until 8.30. 
Bed, fagged out. ; 


A a ak I Oe cl oe 
29 


May 22. Up at 7 for breakfast. Invited either or both 
te go to Mandeville and Maix accepted. I drove slowly 
and carefully and I think she had the time of her life, 
She bought many small items and when we got back she 
told Hermanse of every person we passed on the road and 
of every sight we had seen. Both were pathetically 
grateful. Had lunch and I left for Mendez Pen about 1. 
Went all the way into Cross Keys by mistake but then got 
onto my road and reached Mendez at 3. Mrs. Bovell was 
getting ready to go to a funeral. We talked about Frome 
and Marjorie and about the day P. Ae missed us. She wasn't 
at all distressed by the incident. She has a plan for a 
picnic and swim next Sunday at Alligator Pond and wants 
me to come. Will go if I can get my talk fixed up on Fri- 
day and Saturday, Am to call at 28 Seymour Ave. (off Old 
Hope Road) tomorrow at 8.30, at which time she will have 
more news of the party. Reached 2 Piccadilly Road in time 
for a bath and complete change of clothing. Dinner. Black 
Jack in the evening on the porch which kept me awake until 
after midnight. 


May 25. Up at 7. Wrote up notes and packed specimens. 
Went to Institute to read for my talk. Bernard pointed 
out several references on the mongoose that I was glad 
to see. This animal was introduced into the island in 
1872 as an enemy of the cane rat. A previous attempt 
to introduce the ferret failed because the chigoe flea 
killed the young ferrets and prevented multiplication. 
By 1882 the cost of rat catching had been reduced by 90 
percent and the cane damage by 80 percent. (Rat catch- 
ing cost calculated directly, cane damage indirectly by 
rum production, as all rum was made from damaged canes). 
By 1890, the value of the mongoose had passed its peak. 
It is now and has been for years, a serious menace to 
the wild life on the island. 


May 24. Stedman took my cutlass to a leather worker to have 
a sheath made. Will cost five shillings. To Myrtle Bank 
for bath and swim. Dixie Doodle for lunch with Mrs. Bo- 
vell and Jim. He seems very nice, I'm sure I should like 
him. After lunch, Mrs. Bovell turned her car over to 
Jim and I took her with me. We stopped at Caymanas to 
call on Paul and his wife. Paul is OK, don't think I 
would care much for his wife. Then to Mendez Pen, where 
we talked until 7, had a light supper and I started back 
to Kingston. Saturday night makes difficult driving in 
Old Harbour and Spanish Town. Tomorrow's party off. 
Reached 2 Piccadilly Road at 9.20. Bed after the 10 of- 
clock news. 


50 


May 25. Sunday. Mrs. Dignum, Faith, Dick and I went to 
Roselle for lunch and a swim. Swimming is very stren- 
uous there as the beach is shelving, somewhat rocky and 
with a very strong undertow. Back to Piccadilly Road 
for early bed. 


May 26. Dick joined me for a trip around the east end of 
the island. Took the road to Annotto Bay, pausing at 


- \\ 
: \\ (pin) 
wee be 
t Dp 


é % 

“didi : 

ah dl; dh : 
“@, We 


t}) 

‘ 

x 

~ 


it 


North shore, just east of Port Antonio. 


Castleton Gardens but without leaving car. Collected 
near Hope Bay in coconut walk, taking ants, millipeds 
and miscellaneous insects. Stopped just beyond Port 
Antonio for lunch. Sweeping roadside plants produced 
little. Stopped at Blue Hole to collect under weed on 
beach. Many crustacea but no insects. Light rain. 
Avoided Friendship Valley road because we could see 

that it was raining very hard in the John Crow mountains. 
Continued along the shore to Hector's River and Port 
Morant and then in to Kingston. In the evening visited 
Jim Walker and Hazel (Wooler) to see the collectiom of 
butterflies. Well arranged and mounted but most of the 
specimens lack locality labels. Walker is especially 
interested in Lycaenidae and has an excellent collection 
of this group. He needs help with identifications. 


May 27. Went to Institute to make final arrangments for 
talk this evening. Am permitted to wear white instead 
of tuxedo. Went to bank for money and to the United 
Fruit to find out about my baggage. Nathan's and Hen- 
derson's for purchases. Lunch. Hope at 2 but no pass 
yet for the Palisadoes. Picked out termites and fruit 


ol 


flies to take to Washington for identification. Dictated 

a letter to Col. Hawkins asking again for pass and took 

it to the post 
office down 
town. Then back 


INSTITUTE | to Piccadilly 
of Road for bath 
JAMAICA and early din- 


ner, Bernard 
called for me 
and we reached 
the Institute 
ahead of the 
crowd, which 
proved to be 
quite small. 
Mrs. Bovell 

and Jim were 
there as well 
as several from 
the Institute. 
The talk went 
reasonably well 
though Miss 
Fletcher sat in 
one of the back 
rows of seats 
and did not hear 
_too well. There 
were no ques- 
tions from the 
program. audience. Home 
and to bed. 


PUBLIC LECTURES 


Summer 1941, 


May 2&. Went to Hope and found Dixon talking with Col. Hawkins 
by phone. The letter had not been received but Hawkins said 
to come immediately and we would be admitted. Reached the 
restricted area at 10.30 and went first to call on Hawkins. 
He was very pleasant and told us to go anywhere that we 
wished, Went into the acacia scrub just beyond the light- 
house. Found Heterotermes in a discarded piece of 2x4 and 
nests of Crematogaster in dead acacia branches. Moved on 
a quarter of a mile and located three colonies of the kalo- 
termitid that Dixon had taken previously. Found alates, de- 
alates, soldiers and workers. As the three groups were 
found in a comparatively small area, they may all belong to 
the same colony. Quit at 1 PM and returned Dixon to Hope. 

In the afternoon, Dick and I went to Victoria market to 
buy jippi-jappa. After dinner went to 28 Seymour Ave. to 
find Mrs. Bovell. She was not there when I arrived and I 
was mistaken for a person of color. Most beautifully 


LECTURES. 


bd elee ls de ey ae SOE aD Vee. eee 


Tuesday May 27 
“BIOLOGICAL CONTROL” 
RY 
Dr. E. A. CHAPIN: 

Of the United States National Museum 


“LIVING, THINKING, AND YOU" 


A Series of Lectures by 
LEWIS DAVIDSON, &sq. M.A. 


CON 
May 15, May 29, 


june 12, June 26. 


THREE LECTURES BY 


K D. CARNEGIE Esq. M.A. 


Thurs. May 22: 


“OUR DEBT TO GREECE and ROME” 


Thurs. June 6: 
“THE MESSAGE of SOCRATES for TODAY” 


Thurs. June 20: 
“THE MESSAGES of EURIPIDES for TODAY” 


ALE LECTURES BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 8.15 p.m. 


PLEASE COME 
AND 
BRING YOUR FRIENDS. 


Oe 


snubbed. We met later and drove to an icecream parlor 
where we could sit and talk. Returned her to Seymour 
Ave. at 11.50. Black Jack at Piccadilly Road again, 
played until 1 AM and then went to bed, 


May 29. Up about 8 AM. Took box of spare bottles to the 
Institute and brought the tank with the seaurchins to 
Piccadilly Road when I returned at noon, After lunch, 


ay SONIA IAT" 
aS Ny ys 
ova an UN \\ IN N ! \ 
RAN \\ A SS 

Vil 


Yy 


yf; Y We : Zz 
VY he fl 7 
UW fi’ 7 


Manchioneal Bay from the south. 


went to Hope to say my goodbyes to Edwards and Dixon. 
Sorted out more termites that had not been seen by HEmer- 
son and took a collection of ants on slides that had 
been made by Gowdey. Piccadilly Road for lunch and 
found a note from Marjorie saying that she would be in 
Kingston the night of the 30th. Went to the Wooler'ts to 
see them for the last time and fortunately found them 
all there. Then to 28 Seymour Ave to see if Jim can go 
with me to Spanish Town tomorrow night. In the evening, 
Bernard and Lucille came over with his booby and egg bird 
pictures. We also went to the Rainbow for Pepsicola. 


May 5O. Met Lewis at 8 for last trip. We drove out Windward 
Road nearly to Sugarloaf and turned left up a gully to 
Cane River Falls. Took good termites in dead stumps, 
Kalotermes, Cryptotermes, Termes and Nasutitermes. In 
the afternnon went for my last film pack and took all 
films to the Censor for his OK. Back to Piccadilly Road 
to dress and for tea and to say So long to Dick who sails 
tonight on the Lady Rodney. Picked up Jim and drove to 


5S 


Spanish Town. Met Marjorie and we swapped cars, Jim 

taking hers. Went to Watt's for chicken salad and to 
talk. Started 
for 28 Seymour 
at 10 PM. 


May 51. I sail 
today. Went first 
to War Finance to 
get permission to 
reconvert my money 
into U.S. Then to 
Victoria market, 
Royal Bank of Can- 
ada, J.A.A. to 
turn over car to 
Miss Nixon to be 
returned to Nir. 
Duquesnay. Met 
Marjorie and drove 
her car from then 
on. Bernard took 
my baggage to the 
pier becaguse my 
trunk would not go 
in the Ford. Myr- 
tle Bank for lunch 
and then to the 
United Fruit co. 
Boat will sail late 
Aki or Akee, so we went back to 
Myrtle Bank until 
2e Then to pier where we found Bernard and Lucille wait- 
ing. They have been very good to me. Boat will sail at 
4 so back to the Myrtle Bank. Went aboard at 3.45 and 
we actually started at 4.15 PM. 


June 2. Off Hatteras. We are now in the midst of the herd 
of bottlenosed dolphins headed north on their annual 
migration. As far as one can see, in every direction, 
there are thousands of dolphins moving steadily north- 
ward. On either side of the bow, our boat is convoyed 
by === groups of from three to ten animals. From time 
to time, these groups would leave to boat and their 
places would be taken by other and fresh groups. We 
first sighted them at four in the afternoon and they 
were still with us at dark. 


ona 


Margery Ann Davidson 
Born Sept. 30, 195 


Photo Mar. 30, 


19h7 


l. 


Ze 


Oe 


6. 


Te 


8. 


96 


10. 


il. 


12. 


eo — ——- TY —— ¥ ‘pin = 


Check list of the Ants of Jamaica. 
Ponerinae 


Ectatomma (Holcoponera) strigatum (Norton). 
Kingston, Port Antonio, Balaclava. 


Ectatomma (Holcoponera) striatulum Mayr. 
Newton, Kingston. 


Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) interruptum Mayr. 
Mandeville. 


Platythyrea punctata var. pruinosa Mayr. 
Kingston, Balaclava, Mandeville, Montego Bay. 


Euponera (Trachymesopus) stigma (F.) 
Montego Bay, Cinchona, Manchianeal. 


Pachycondyla harpex (F.) 
Balaclava. 


Anochetus mayri subsp. laeviusculus Wheeler. 
Troy (type locality). 


Leptogenys puncticeps Emery. 
Newton. 


Odontomachus haematoda (L.) 
Kingston, Port Antonio, Troy, Balaclava. 


seme haematoda var. hirsutiusculus F.Smith. 
Balacleva, Mandeville, Kingston, Moneague. 


~ ae haematoda subsp. insularis Guérin. 
Liguanea Plain. 


om om om | haematoda insularis var. ruginodis Wheeler. 
Montego Bay, Newton. 


Ponera foeda Forel. 
Troye 


Ponera. opaciceps Mayr. 
Troy, Newton, Maq°Pen. 


Ponera trigona var. opacior Forel. 
Newton. 


Myrmicinae 


15. Pseudomyrma flavidula var. delicatula Forel, 
Kingston, Troy, Mandeville, Balaclava. 


-oo= flavidula var. capperi Forel. 
Kingston, Lapland (near Catadupa). 


14. Pseudomyrma elongata Mayr. 
Port Antonio, Troy, Balaclava, Kingston. 


15. Pseudomyrma gracilis (F.) 
Balaclava. 


16. Pseudomyrma brunnea F,.Smith. 
Lapland (near Catadupa),. 


17. Pseudomyrma eduardi Forel. 
Newton. 


18. Monomorium destructor (Jerdon). 
Kingston. | 


19. Monomorium pharaonis (L.) 
TROy. 


20. Monomorium floricola (Jerdon),. 
Port Henderson, Hope Bay, Kingston, Bowden. 


21. Monomorium carbonarium subsp. ebeninum Forel. 
St. Margaret's Bay, Port Antonio, Kingston, 
Mandeville, Balaclava, Montego Bay, 


22e Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel. 
Kingston, Balaclava, Troy, Liguanea Plain. 


25. Tetramorium guineense (F.) 
Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Troy, Balaclava. 


24. Tetramorium (Tetrogmus) simillimum Roger. 
Troy, Balaclava. 

2'ta. See Additions. 

25. Wasmennia auropunctata Roger. 
Port Antonio, Balaclava. 


26. Solenopsis geminata (F.) 
Kingston, Port Antonio, Troy, Balaclava, Newton, 
Liguanea Plain, MePen, Negri\ Point. 


27. Solenopsis azteca Forel. 
Mandeville. 


mere azteca var. pallida Wheeler. 
Port Antonio, Mandeville, Balaclava. 


28. Solenopsis hemmari Mayr. (ident. dub. ) 
Mandeville. 


29. Pheidole fallax Mayr. 
Kingston, Balaclava, Newton. 


= os fallax var. ovalis Forel. 
Kingston. 


30. Pheidole megacephale (F.) 
Kingston, Mandeville, Cinchona. 


$1. Pheidole punctatissima subsp. jamaicensis Wheeler. 
2.5 mi. west Port Antonio (type locality), Troy. 


@---  punctatissima jamaicensis var. barbouri Wheeler. 
Cinchona. 


52 Pheidole radoszkowskii var. opacissima Forel. 
Kingston, Newton. 


$3. Pheidole subarmata Mayr. 
Port Antonio, Balaclava. 


534. Pheidole caribbaea Wheeler. 
Mendeville, Balaclava, Troy, Newton. 


W-- caribbaea subsp. sloanei Wheeler. 
Newton. 


55. Pheidole flavens Roger. 
Kingstone 


--- flavens var. thomensis Emery (ident. dub.) 
Mandeville. 
os @. Dee Additions 
56. Pheidole floridana subsp. stomachosa Wheeler. 
Newton. 


37. Pheidole (Ceratopheidole) hecate Wheeler. 
Troy (type locality). 


om we oon an hecate subsp. malevola Wheeler. 
Yallahs Valley (near Blue Mts.), Kingston (type loc- 
ality), Newcastle. 


ome oe hecate subsp. bruesi Wheeler. 
Newton. 


o8. 


OD6 


40. 


4l. 


44. 


45. 


46. 


47. 


48. 


49. 


Crematogaster steinheili Forel. 
Kingston, Port Antonio. 


Crematogaster brevispinosa Mayr. 
Troy, Mandeville, Kingston. 


ee brevispinosa var. minutior Forel.. 
Balaclava, Kingston. 


o---e brevispinosa subsp. vicina André. 
Moneague, Newton, Kingston, Balaclave, Troy. 


Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus ) varians F.Smith. 
Kingston, Half Way Tree. 


Rhopalothrix simoni var. wighti Wheeler. 
2 mie west Port Antonio (type locality), Troy. 


Strumigenys alberti var. nigrescens Wheeler. 
Mandeville (type locality). 


Atta (Trachymyrmex) jamaicensis André. 
Kingston. 


Cyphomyrmex foxi André. 
Kingston, Newton. 
: Spinola 
Cyphomyrmex rimosus menutus—Hess, 
Port Antonio, Balaclava, Troy, Mandeville, 
Liguanea Plain, Gordewtown, 


Dolichoderinae 


Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.) 
Kingston, Port Antonio, Montego Bay. 


Forelius maccooki (Forel) 
Kingston. 


Dorymyrmex pyramicus Roger. 
Montego Bay. 


et oe pyramicus var. niger Pergande. 
Balaclava, Kingston. 


Iridomyrmex iniguus Mary. 
Troy, Mandeville, Kingston, Cinchona. 


ae iniquus var. nigellus Forel. 
Kingston. 


oni a . EE —Vn_— ———<— = —— 


Camponotinae 


00. Brachymyrmex minutus Forel. 
Mouth of Rio Grande. 


4 51. Brachymyrmex heeri Forel. 
Kingston, Mandeville. 


om oo ome wt heeri var. obscurior Forel. 
Mouth of Rio Grande, Troy, Balaclava, Kingston, 
Mandeville, Cinchina,. 
Paralrechina 
52. Prenolepis (Nylanderia) fulva Mayr. 
Port Antonio, Troy, Mandeville, Kingston. 
Paralrech na . , 
53. (Nylanderia) longicornis (F.) 
Port Antonio, Kingston, Newton. 
Parslrechina _ 
54. Prenotepts (Nylanderia) vividula Nyl. 
 Cinchona. 


55- Camponotus capperi Forel. 
Jamaica. 


wee= capperi var. formosulus Wheeler, 
Troy (type locality), Mandeville, Balaclava. 


---—- capperi subsp. corticalis Forel. 
Hope Gardens. 


kk capperi subsp. subdepilis Wheeler. 
Port Antonio (type locality), Troy, Balaclava. 


woe= capperi subsp. unctulus Wheeler. 
Newton. 


56. Camponotus fugax Forel. 
Hope Gardens. 
S60. Swe Additions. 
57. Camponotus conspicuus F.Smith. 
Kingston, Port Henderson, Liguanea Plain, Montego Bay. 


58. Camponotus maculatus subsp. picipes (Oliv.) _ 
Mandeville. | 


596 w--=- maculatus subsp. jamaicensis Wheeler. 
Newton (type locality), Liguanea Plain, Mendeville. 


60. Camponotus hannani Forel. 
Kingston, Port Antonio, Montego Bay, Troy, etc. 


---= hannani subsp. willardi Forel, 
Kingston, Moneague. 


& 
' 


aaa ah 
eerie) ’ 
j , " Aly. 
: ats fil ‘ § 


Me ‘ 


Pheidole flavens var. vincentensis Forel. 


35a. Pheidole sp. (flavens group) 
Portland Ridge. 


56a. Camponotus (Pseudocolobopsis) Spe 
) Bluefields Bay. 


C) 


PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 43, NO. 8, NOV., 1941 183. 


Femoral and tibial pile dark. Wings: rather heavily tinged throughout with 
brown, the stigmal cell quite dark brown, the allulae linear. 

Female. Similar to the male; the front has a continuous, diffuse, slender 
brownish stripe, the dark pubescence is less in evidence upon the scutellum, and 
the abdominal pattern is very similar. 


Holotype: one male, Sao Paulo, Osasco, April 6-8, 1939, 
J. Lane, collector. Allotype: one female, same data. 


A REMARKABLE NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS PSEUDACTEON 
(DIPTERA : PHORIDAE). 


By Cuar.es T. GREENE, 


Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 


In three genera of the dipterous family Phoridae, poce- 
phalus Coquillett, Melaloncha Brues, and Pseudacteon Coquillett, 
all of which are known to occur only in the Western Hemisphere, 
the female has a large, exserted, horny ovipositor. In the new 
species described below the ovipositor is exceptionally large, 
being relatively much broader and deeper than in any of the 
described species of the three genera. 


Pseudacteon grandis, new species. 


Female.—Length 1.75 mm. Dark brown. Front about as broad as long, gray 
dusted, with a shining black, central, vertical stripe which bifurcates and 
extends narrowly around the ocellar triangle; 4 transverse rows of frontal 
bristles; first, third, and fourth rows with 4 each; second row with 2, 1 bristle on 
each outer side; on each side of the front between the first and third rows of 
frontals 2 vertical rows of very minute hairs, 3 in each row; postantennal pair 
converging, proclinate. Third antennal segment oval, dark brown, with a nar- 
row ochraceous area along the base and with pale microscopic pubescence; arista 
one and one-half times as long as third antennal segment, microscopically pubes- 
cent. Palpi pale yellow, each with 4 black spines apically; proboscis pale 
luteous. 

Thorax much broader anteriorly, faintly dusted; scutellum with 4 bristles, 
anterior pair much the smaller; halteres yellowish white; legs pale yellow with 
brown infuscation on the apical third of hind femur. Wing with third vein 
simple, ending before middle; second costal area twice as long as third; costal 
fringe short, only slightly longer than thickness of costal vein. 

Abdomen dull brown with last 2 segments edged posteriorly with white and 
with several bristly hairs on each side. Ovipositor (fig. 1) very broad, shining 
black, horseshoe shaped, bilobed, with a central process which has 4 bristles 
apically; across basal portion of arch a transparent colorless membrane, and 
along the edge a row of 10 small hairs; above this row 2 vertical rows of 4 fine 
hairs each. 

Described from two females. 


184 PROC. ENT. SOC. WASH., VOL. 43, NO. 8, NOV., 1941 


The type is from Negril Point, Jamaica, Station 583, May 19, 
1941, Dr. E. A. Chapin collector. Taken in association with 
the ant Solenopsis geminata (F.), found in a deserted nest of a 
species of Nasutitermes. 


The paratype is from State College, Miss., November 22, 


1934, Dr. M. R. Smith collector. It was observed attacking the 
fire ant, Solenopsis xylont McCook. 
Typeand paratype, United States National Museum No. 53862. 
This species runs to Pseudacteon spatulatum (Mall.) but differs 
in the shape and much larger size of the ovipositor. 
Note.—The ants were identified by Dr. M. R. Smith, Bureau 
of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. 


Fig. 1. Pseudacteon grandis, postero-dorsal view of ovipositor. 


A NEW TAENIOTHRIPS FROM PANAMA (THYSANOPTERA)’ 


By J. C. Crawrorp, 
U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. 


Species in the genus Taentothrips which have the fore tarsus 
apically produced into a clawlike projection are so few in 
number that a new one, differing widely from those already 
known, is of interest. It is because of this deviation that the 
specific name has been selected. 


Taeniothrips aberrans, new species. 


Holotype female (macropterous).—Length (distended) 1.48 mm. Deep brown, 


thorax with slight orange tinge and much red pigment, especially in prothorax; _ 


femora concolorous with body, knees somewhat lighter brown, tibiae paler than 


Jamaican Ants Collected by Dr. E. A. Chapin 


OU » » 584, 615, 546, 512, 529 
1 «= Ponere ang Mcp Mayr 


594 ( an interesting ergataner with the workers) 


2= Odontomachus haematode insularis ver. ruginodis Wheeler 
541 and 514 ( not typical}, 605 


3 = Odontomachus haematoda insularis Guerin var, 
546 


4+ Anochetus mayri subsp. leviusculus Wheeler 
516, 527 

* ( see 8} * ( see 14) 

5 - Pseudomyrme elongata Mayr 


6 «= Pseudomyrma brunnea F. Sm. 
512, 529, 


7 + Pseudomyrma flavidula var, delicatula Forel 
512 


Platythyrea punctata var. pruinose Mayr 
512 


* 
OO 
é 


A4& 9 =— Tetramorium lucayanum Wheeler 
501 ( new to Jamaican lists } _ 


10 + Pheidole subarmata Mayr 
501 


ll 


Pheidole fallax var, ovalis Forel 
501, 520 


12 - Pheidole caribbea subsp. sloanei Wheeler 
525 


25 18 = Pheidole flavens var. vincentensis Forel 
580 


xu  Euponera ( Trachymesopus) seh ( Fo). 
(548, 584, 585 


15 « Monomorium floricola ( Jerd.) 
589 


16 ~- Monomorium carbonarium subsp. ebeninum Forel 
521, 581, 569, 587 


17 = Cyphomyrmex rimosus Spinola 


514, 541 ( note - minutus of Mayr is supposed to be a synonym) 


+ ‘ 


18 «+ Cryptocerus ( Cyathocephalus) varians F, Swe 
605 


19 - Wasmannia auropunctata ( Roger) 
550, 595, 584, 515, 546, 512, 529 


20 ~ Solenopsis geminata ( Y.) 
578, 587, 516, 576, 5384, 5i2, 597, 594, 592, 529, 583, 502 


3§ a “21 - Pheidole sp. ( flavens group) | Een 


538 ( possibly new ) 


22 « Crematogaster brevispinosa subsp. vicina Andre 
502, 


25 «+ Crematogaster steinheili Forel 
600, 521, 501 


24 » Tapinoma melanocephalum ( F.) 
585, 607 


25 =< Iridomyrmex iniquus Mayr 
560, 561 | 


26 » Iridomyrmex iniquus var, nigella Emery 
553 | 
27 = Dorymyrmex pyramicus ( Roger) 
587, 528, 592, 501 


28 - Paratrechina longicornis ( Latr.) 
588, 579, 504, 591, 587, 501 


' 


Paratrechina ( Nylanderia) sp. 
512 


29 
30 + Camponotus conspicuus Forel 
516, 527 


31 = Camponotus hannani subsp. willardi Forel 
538, 607 


22 «# Camponotus capperi subsp. subdepilis Wheeler 
569, 513, 512, 516, 538 


33 


Camponotus ( one -paLomately } SDPe eat 
586 © » T3a. 


34 » Brachymyrmex heeri var. obscurior Forel 
512, 585