46 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Jan., '04 



in this locality was due to the fact that at one time the strain 

 of Bombyx i/iori became depreciated, and in the course of ex- 

 periments to provide a substitute, the United States Agricul- 

 tural Department sent him one hundred cocoons. After three 

 years' confinement, some of the larvae were placed upon an 

 Ailanlhits in his yard ; from whence the moths escaped and 

 spread. For a number of years they were free from parasites, 

 but were now subject to the same attacks as our allied native 

 species. Sparrows destroyed the larvae after the first moult, 

 though- but rarely after the second. Dr. Meeske and Messrs. 

 Roberts and Weeks instanced the parasitization of cynthia by 

 Ophion macrurum and a species of Smicra. Prof. Smith noted 

 that this moth preferred to frequent the vicinity of large cities. 

 This, however, might be due to to the greater supply of food 

 plant to be found in such localities. Mr. Akhurst related his 

 experiments in breeding jama-mai for its silk. The insect so 

 far, however, had refused to become acclimated. 



Dr. Call read copies of two interesting letters : one by Ed- 

 ward Doubleday to S. Calverley, formerly of Brooklyn, dated 

 at Epping, England, December 17, 1840; in which, among 

 other things, Mr. Doubleday states that he is preparing a work 

 on United States L,epidoptera, and had 967 species enumerated. 

 The other was by Dr. Thaddeus William Harris to Mr. Cal- 

 verley, dated at the Library of the University, Cambridge, 

 Mass., November 16, 1848, written in response to Mr. Calver- 

 ley's request for a copy of " Insects Injurious to Vegetation," 

 and in which Mr. Harris inquires who had identified Mr. 

 Calverley's specimens, as he did not " suppose there were five 

 persons in the United States who could do it. ' ' 



Dr. Call also read a paper upon the species of Anophthalmus 

 occurring in the United States. Although there were a num- 

 ber of names, some were probably synonyms ; which would 

 reduce the actual number of species to eight. In fact, the 

 generic name could be eliminated, and the several species 

 merged with Trechus, since there were no structural differences 

 upon which to base distinctions ; the aborted eyes not being 

 recognized as a generic character. Prof. Smith preferred re- 

 taining the generic name, because it was desirable to have a 



