OF WASHINGTON. 53 
same season with that species. It will be remembered that one of the best 
means of distinguishing the Periodical Cicada from other Cicadas is the 
season in which they appear the former appearing always some weeks be- 
fore the Dog-day Cicada and other species. If there is at Fortress Monroe, 
and probably also in other sections of Virginia, a species of Cicada appear- 
ing at the same time with the Periodical species, great caution is necessary 
in entering Cicada reports coming from the section of the country just in- 
dicated. 
Judge Johnson spoke on the ravages of a Cecidomyious gall- 
maker on twigs of Bumelia lanuginosa, as observed by him in 
the vicinity of Shreveport, La. The young trees suffer severely 
from the attacks of this insect. 
Dr. Marx said that he had recently received from California a 
species of Segestria which appears to be identical with the Euro- 
pean S. perfida. This Arachnid genus contains in Europe six 
species and was hitherto not known to occur in North America. 
Mr. Howard made a communication on the food-habits of the 
House Wren {Troglodytes aedon] in which he stated that a pair 
had built under the eaves of the porch of his house and raised two 
broods of young of four each. The first brood w#s fed in the 
nest from June ist to June I3th, and on the latter date the nest 
was thrown down by the birds and the young flew to the grass 
where they were observed for several days in company with the 
old birds. The nest was rebuilt in a different place. The second 
brood was fed from June 3oth to July nth. The food was ex- 
clusively insects. On several occasions the old bird was observed 
to carry a bit of bread to the nest, and each time was seen to carry 
it away untouched. The main food of the first brood consisted 
of small black beetles, probably CarabidaB, but many small grass- 
hoppers and crickets were also carried to the nest, and a few green 
caterpillars, probably larva of Drasteria erechtea and Platyhy- 
pena scabra. With the second brood the proportion of the larvaB 
increased very greatly and the beetles correspondingly diminished. 
A few specimens of Macrodactylus subspinosus, however, were 
noticed to be carried. The birds were most active between 5 and 
9 a. m. and between 4 and 7.30 p. m. A calculation of the 
average rate of returns of the old to the nest and of the length 
of time of feeding showed that about i ,500 insects were fed to 
the first brood while still in the nest. 
Mr. Schwarz spoke on the habits of two species of Horse-flies, 
