OF WASHINGTON. 431 



Messrs. Benton, Schwarz, Currie, Kotinsky, Pratt, Busck, Cau- 

 dell, Morris, Pollard, Chapin, Ashmead, Stiles, Patten, Howard, 

 Heidemann, and Mathis, active members, present. 



Under the head of Exhibition of specimens, Mr. Ashmead 

 exhibited one specimen each of Bombus carbonarius, Elema 

 nigrita, and Centris nigerrima, all from a single locality in 

 Chile and all three so nearly alike in general appearance as to 

 be calculated to deceive any but a specialist. He said that it 

 seemed like a case of mimicry, but agreed to the suggestion made 

 h$r Messrs. Gill and Howard that as all were Aculeate Hymen - 

 optera from the same locality nothing was to be gained by mim 

 icry, and the similarity of appearance was doubtless due to simi 

 lar environment and conditions of life. 



Mr Schwarz mentioned the specimens of the Scolytid 

 beetle, Cactopinus hubbardi, which he had shown at a meeting 

 of the Society a year ago as exhibiting an interesting instance of 

 longevity, and stated that the piece of giant cactus containing 

 these insects was examined by Prof. Hopkins and himself on the 

 3ist January, 1900, and the insects were still found to be alive 

 after an existence of 4 years in a glass jar in his room. Some 

 remarks were made on the subject of longevity in insects, practi 

 cally duplicating a similar discussion alreadv recorded. 



Dr Stiles, who had recently returned from a two-years' ab 

 sence in Germany, stated that he was the bearer of greetings to 

 members of the Society from a corresponding member, Dr. R. 

 Heymons, of Berlin, and also from Drs. Karsch, Stadelmann, 

 Carus, Dohrn, and others. 



Mr. Schwarz remarked upon an interesting observation made 

 by the late Mr. Hubbard regarding the breeding habits of two 

 species of Nitidulid beetles ( Carpophilus yuccce Crotch and C. 

 lacertosus Murr. ?) in the mountainous regions of southern Ari 

 zona. On the surface of the leaves of Yucca macrocarpa brown 

 spots could occasionally be seen, but only on such plants which 

 had flowered the previous season, and only on the leaves nearest 

 to the old flower stem. These spots, which occur always near the 

 base of the leaves, showed an extremely minute hole at the middle, 

 and this led into an irregular and rather capacious chamber ex 

 cavated within the fibrous interior of the leaf. In each chamber 

 from 5 to 8 specimens of the Carpophilus were met, and it was 



