64 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Riley, in reference to the noise made by the moth, stated that 

 although he had not given it much personal attention he im 

 agined that the patagia have something to do with it. Dr. Gill 

 expressed himself as of the opinion that it will be very easy to 

 solve the question as to how the sound is produced by comparing 

 the insect with closelv allied forms which are silent. Prof. Riley 

 stated that this had already been done by many older authors and 

 contended that it is by no means an easy problem to solve, since 

 the noise only occurs during extreme activity on the part of the 

 insect. He stated that the sound produced by Culex is equally 

 difficult to locate even by comparison with noiseless allied 

 species. Mr. Howard was under the impression that he had 

 noticed a slight squeak with certain North American Sphingidae, 

 and in this Messrs. Riley and Chittenden were inclined to agree 

 with him, although neither was positive. Prof. Riley further 

 spoke of his pleasure in rearing this moth when a boy in France. 

 He had not found it during his early boyhood in England, where 

 it was very rare at that time. Mr. Benton stated that the species 

 is growing more abundant in England, and Dr. Marx referred to 

 the fact that it was formerly a serious pest to the potato crop 

 along the Rhine in Germany. 



Prof. Riley read the following : 



FURTHER NOTES ON LACHNOSTERNA. 

 By C. V. RILEY, PH. D. 



There has been a general impression, from the previous studies 

 of Lachnosterna, that there is a certain chronological sequence 

 in the occurrence of the different species. The great partiality 

 of these insects for the tender foliage of young oaks, especially 

 recently transplanted trees, is well known and has been fully at 

 tested in our previous discussions. I have had some difficulty in 

 preventing the utter defoliation of three young oaks (Qucrcus 

 palustris) which were transplanted from the nursery a year ago 

 last fall, and on the evening of the very first day of May, which 

 happened to be warm and quiet, the beetles appeared for the first 

 time. A number which I took on that occasion showed that the 

 specimens represented four well-known species, namely, L. 

 hirticula, L. arcuata, L. micans, and L. fraterna. They 

 were abundant in the order of their naming, hirticula being the 

 earliest and the most active in flight, arcuata next most 

 abundant, while but a single specimen of fraterna was taken. 



