122 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



known species, published in the American Naturalist a year 

 ago, confirmed by Dr. Gill and Mr. Marlatt. He spoke of the 

 work of the new school of biologists which will unquestionably 

 unsettle classification in many important respects, so that we are 

 at the present time in an uncertain position. 



Mr. Schwarz stated that no prominence must be given Pliny 

 as a naturalist. It appears that the Romans had no natural- 

 history sense whatever. Pliny was not a naturalist, but for 

 many years was a collector of notes from Greek authors. It is 

 as a preserver of these notes solely that he must be remembered. 



Discussing the question of the number of species yet to be 

 described, Mr. Ashmead spoke of the extremely small propor 

 tion of the micro-hymenoptera which have yet received attention. 

 New species may be everywhere found, even in the best known 

 localities. In his monograph of Proctotrypidas three-fourths of 

 the forms treated w r ere new. Yet he considers that this mono 

 graph contains not a sixth of the forms which exist in America. 

 He spoke of Mr. Cockerell's recent monograph of the genus 

 Perdita as illustrating the condition of some of the groups of 

 aculeate hymenoptera. 



Mr. Schwarz illustrated an important element which must enter 

 into the question of the number of species by speaking of the 

 genus Carabus. In Europe 50 years ago a certain number of 

 species, represented by, say, 3,000 specimens in collections, were 

 recognized by the best Coleopterists. To-day most of the varie 

 ties of the same number of species are recognized as valid species 

 and the total number of species has more than quadrupled out of 

 the same number of specimens. How can we estimate the 

 number of species if our conception of what is a species be 

 constantly varying? 



>^Av MARCH iSxn, 1897. 



President Marlatt in the chair, and Messrs. Heidemann, Pratt, 

 Karlsioe, Linell, Gill, Benton, Patton, Busck, Schwarz, Ash- 

 mead, Johnson, Motter, and Howard also present. 



The following new corresponding members were elected : Mr. 



