42 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Jan., '04 



THE communication of Dr. Castle in the September number of 

 ENT. NEWS, page 244, to the effect that, while collecting in Florida, he 

 there encountered a species of Galerita, which bombarded like the spe- 

 cies of Brachynus, recalls the only experience of the same kind that I 

 have had, and which now seems not unworthy of publication. Among a 

 colony of about a dozen specimens of our common Galerita janus, con- 

 gregated under a stone and found on the Chestnut Ridge in the spring of 

 1899, there was one that, much to my surprise, distinctly bombarded 

 like a Brachynus. This it did but a single time, and no effort on my part 

 could force it to repeat the performance. Ever since this occurrence I 

 have been paying close attention to the various colonies of Galerita that 

 I have met, but in no case did another evidence of their power of bom- 

 barding come under my observation, and hence I considered it anoma- 

 lous and exceptional and not generally possessed by all the individuals 

 of Galerita janus, or but extremely seldom employed by them when 

 disturbed. 



It would be interesting to ascertain whether, as implied, Dr. Castle has 

 observed many, or at least several of the Florida Galerita in the act of 

 bombarding, or. as in the instance here recorded, but a single specimen. 

 P. JEROME SCHMITT, O. S. B , St. Vincent's, Beatty, Pa. 



PROBABLY no State in the Union is more agitated over insect pests 

 than is Texas ; and in very few States is as much entomological work 

 being done. On November 5th and 6th a Cotton Convention was called 

 at Dallas, Texas, the principal subject of the discussion being the Boll 

 Weevil and Boll Worm. This was the second session of this Conven- 

 tion, the first being held in December, 1901. At the close of the session, 

 Prof. F. W. Mally, formerly State Entomologist of Texas, very hospit- 

 ably entertained the other Entomologists in attendance. The following 

 note given in the Texas Farm and Ranch is sufficiently accurate with the 

 exception of some of the details of the menu : 



ENTOMOLOGISTS' BANQUET. "After the late Cotton Convention in 

 Dallas, Prof. F. W. Mally, of Garrison, Texas, entertained a number of 

 distinguished entomologists at a banquet at the Oriental. Among the 

 guests were: Prof. W. D. Hunter, Victoria, Texas; Prof. Sherman, 

 Raleigh, N. C., Prof. H. A. Morgan, Baton Rouge, La , Prof. E. Dwight 

 Sanderson, College Station, Texas, and Prof. A. L. Quintance, Victoria, 

 Texas. 



Farm and Ranch was not furnished with a copy of the menu, but it as- 

 sumes that it ran something like this : 



Weevil an naturel. 

 Bullion d'insecte. Boll Worm Cocktail. 



Weevil on the Square. 



Bolls a la puncture. Boll Worm Roti. 



Cotton Stalk Tips. Alkali Cotton a la Shear. 



Big Bugs a la Wilson. Cotton Blanche au Jester. Exterminators." 



