OF WASHINGTON. 207 



Mr. Schwarz remarked that it is wonderful that this species, as 

 well as many other European insects, have not been introduced into 

 America at an earlier date, and called attention to the fact that, 

 as already pointed out by Osten-Sacken, the most unexpected in 

 troductions frequently occur, whereas those most to be expected 

 may not be brought about for many years. He stated that this 

 insect is one which is especially guarded against by police regu 

 lations in Germany, the inhabitants of a given district being noti 

 fied on a certain day to destroy the larvae upon their premises, 

 and the police immediately thereafter inspecting the work and 

 fining delinquents. 



Mr. Matthis spoke of the special clanger from this imported 

 species. He said that it is one of the forms whose egg- masses 

 are distasteful to birds through the admixture of hairs from the 

 anal tuft of the female moth. For this reason birds will not 

 touch it. He recounted his European experience with the species, 

 and both he and Mr. wSchwarz stated that the female flies well, 

 and that the species may therefore spread in the adult stage. 



OMISSION FROM PROCEEDINGS OF MAY 13, 1897. 



The publication committee announces that through an unfortu 

 nate error no mention is made in the proceedings of the meeting 

 of May 13, 1897, of the reading of an elaborate paper on the 

 Genera of the Encyrtinas by Mr. Ashmead. This paper has 

 been withdrawn for publication elsewhere. 



Mr. Howard read a paper, of which he has submitted the fol 

 lowing abstract : 



THE THOMSON-MAYR PRIORITY QUESTION SETTLED. 

 By L. O. HOWARD. 



It will be remembered that, at the last meeting of the Society, 

 following the reading of the paper on the genera of the Encyr- 

 tina3, by Mr. Ashmead, a discussion took place between Messrs. 

 Ashmead, Schwarz, and the writer relative to the possibility that 

 volume IV of Thomson's " Hymenoptera Skandinavias," the 

 printed title-page of which showed the date 1875, was, in reality, 

 published subsequently to Mayr's paper on the Encyrtinas, which 

 was read before the Zoologisch Botanische Gesellschaft in Wien, 

 December, 1875. 



It has been established since this discussion took place that 

 Mayr's paper was published not later than the end of January, 



