OF WASHINGTON. 39 



the view that it is of relatively slight importance in classification. 

 Mr. Howard expressed himself as of the opinion that the curved 

 chitinous rods in the abdomen of the flea must be functional, and 

 that if Professor Smith would examine fresh specimens in which 

 the muscular tissue had not been destroyed by maceration in 

 potash, he would find muscular bands accompanying and partly 

 enveloping the rods. Such muscles being found, the extrusive 

 function of the rods might be considered proven, however rigid 

 the attachment of the anal end to the body walls might seem. 

 He asked Professor Smith if he had homologized the piercing 

 organs which arise from the sucking stomach, and the latter re 

 plied that he had not. He stated, however, that in the Hemip- 

 tera he had been unable to find a satisfactory trace of the labium, 

 whereupon Mr. Howard remarked that, supposing these piercing 

 organs to be, after all, homologous with those of the mosquito, 

 for instance, which arise from the mentum, the flea might with 

 some justice be said to have practically swallowed its own labium. 



Dr. Smith stated further that in his opinion the mouth-parts 

 of the insects of the old order Neuroptera deserve investigation. 

 He spoke of the Panorpatas or Mecaptera, and stated that he had 

 recently examined the mouth-parts of Panorpa and Bittacus, 

 showing that the extraordinary elongation is unique ; he had 

 noticed an approach to a chela in one of the maxillary sclerites. 



Mr. Schwarz exhibited a specimen of a Pterostichus from 

 Montana, showing a curious malformation in the middle tibia on 

 the right side. The tibia was double and bore three tarsi. A 

 similar fact has been recorded concerning species from other 

 countries, but the malformation usually does not extend to the 

 tibial spurs, of which there are two, while in the specimen ex 

 hibited by Mr. Schwarz there were four tibial spurs and the tibia 

 bore two tarsi. As a general rule, among the Coleoptera, when 

 ever there is extensive malformation of the tarsus the tibial spurs 

 are often affected. 



Mr. Schwarz also spoke of the occurrence of Sphcerius 

 gibbioides as an herbarium pest in San Francisco. He had men 

 tioned this matter before the Society on a previous occasion, and 

 recurred to the subject for the reason that he had recently learned 

 that the species has spread f rom t h e Museu m of tlie Academy 

 of Sciences into the commercial establishments of the city, feeding 

 upon drugs and other stored products. 



