proceedings: biological society 119 



Under the heading of Brief Notes, W. L. McAtee and Alex. Wet- 

 moke called attention to the presence of white-winged crossbills in the 

 vicinity of Washington, constituting the second authentic record of 

 this species in the District fauna. The first specimen was seen by 

 Mr. McAtee on December 10, 1916, in a flock of American crossbills. 

 Later, on December 24, 27, and 30, other specimens were seen, as 

 single birds and also in flocks, Mr. Wetmore having seen as many as 

 forty birds together. In contrast to this unusual visit of a northern 

 bird Mr. McAtee mentioned the lingering of summer birds, having 

 noted a Cape May warbler on December 6, and a bluegray gnat- 

 catcher about January 1. He mentioned also having found a box 

 turtle out and active on January 7, 1917. 



Mr. E. A. Goldman mentioned the reported occurrence of Hud- 

 sonian chickadees in the vicinity of New York City and Boston. 



Mr. A. S. Hitchcock called attention to the unusual precautions 

 that were being taken in the cai-e of the Linnaean Herbarium to pro- 

 tect it from damage by aircraft. 



The regular program was as follows: 



L. O. Howard: Some European experiences with entomologists. 



Under this title Dr. Howard read three short papers, entitled 

 "Rennes and Rene Oberthiir," "An Entomological Trip to the Cri- 

 mea," and "The Episode of Theophile Gautier," all illustrated with 

 lantern slides. In the first he described the personality of Rene Ober- 

 thiir, one of the great amateur collectors of insects in Europe, and his 

 beautiful place at Rennes where he has a private museum, an extra- 

 ordinary arboretum, and one of the largest collections of orchids in 

 existence. He spoke at some length of the very important volun- 

 tary assistance which M. Oberthiir had given the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology in the collection and importation of the parasites of the gipsy 

 moth and the brown-tailed moth from Europe into the United States, 

 and gave an account of an automobile journey through Brittany and 

 Normandy in the summer of 1909, on which he was accompanied by 

 M. Oberthiir and by Paul Marchal of the Station Entomologique de 

 Paris. 



In the second paper he described a journey from Budapest through 

 Lemberg to Kiew in 1907; the establishment of an experimental sta- 

 tion at Kiew under the direction of Prof. Waldemar Pospielow of the 

 University of Kiew; "the journey thence to Sebastopol, Bachtisserai, 

 and Simferopol, the reginal museum at the latter place under the charge 

 of Prof. Sigismond Mokchetsky; and the excellent work in economic 

 entomology done by Professor Mokchetsky in the Crimea. He men- 

 tioned also the old palace of the Khan of the Crimea at Bachtisserai 

 and the marine zoological laboratory at Sebastopol. 



In the concluding episode he described his personal experiences in 

 1910 and 1912 with Theophile Gautier, one of the most successful rose 

 growers of France, at Angers, a man of the simplest appearance and 

 habits and of the highest standing in horticultural circles and an 

 Officier of the order of Merite Agricole. 



