4& ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Jan., '17 



to the correlation of certain characters such as size of the stridulating 

 apparatus and ocelli in short and long wing forms of Orthoptera; also 

 regarding the correlation of the size of the eyes and the habits of 

 animals in relation to light and darkness. 



Meeting of December u, 1916. Eleven persons present. Director 

 Philip Laurent presiding. 



Coleoptera. Mr. Laurent exhibited a collection of twenty-six 

 species of Coleoptera and a number of other insects that he had col- 

 lected in molasses traps during the past summer. The traps consisted 

 of jelly glasses containing about an inch of molasses, which were sunk 

 in the ground so that the tops of the glasses would be level with the 

 surrounding surface; about an inch and a half above the top of the 

 glass a flat stone or piece of wood was placed so as to keep out the 

 rain. The speaker stated that few collectors ever tried this way of 

 collecting. The principal beetles that fall victims to the traps are 

 Carabidae. 



Mr. Hebard spoke of his experience with molasses traps in collecting 

 insects, especially Orthoptera. He mentioned a time while collecting in 

 New Jersey, during the migration of the army worm when his traps 

 were so filled with specimens of this species that he had to give up 

 his quest for Orthoptera. He further stated that sinking these traps 

 at various places having diverse environments resulted in interesting 

 captures and showed that certain species are more confined to certain lo- 

 calities or habitats than is generally realized. The speaker also stated 

 that he has tried to find specimens of some of the species caught in 

 such traps, by making thorough search over a large area around the 

 traps, looking under stones, pieces of wood, etc., but never has had any 

 success. He said that this method of collecting, viz., with molasses 

 traps, does not seem to be satisfactory in the tropics. General discus- 

 sion followed principally on the apparent abundance of one sex of a 

 species while the other sex is seldom or never seen. 



Mr. Williams called attention to some passages in "The Nightside 

 of Japan," by Fujimoto, which describes the interest Japanese take 

 in the song of insects ; a society has been formed in Tokyo for hearing 

 insects sing, the "Mushi-Hanachi-Kai" (Meeting of Setting Insects 

 Free). 



The following officers were elected for the year 1917: Director, Philip 

 Laurent ; Vice-Director, R. C. Williams, Jr. ; Treasurer, E. T. Cresson ; 

 Conservator, Henry Skinner; Secretary. J. A. G. Rehn ; Recorder, E. T. 

 Cresson, Jr. E. T. CRESSON, JR., Recorder. 



The number of Entomological News for December, 1916, was mailed 

 at the Philadelphia Post Office December 6, 1916. 



