Dec., '09] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 441 



ern New Jersey, as recently laid out by Mr. Stone were also 

 discussed and the distribution of certain of the families in that 

 portion of the State commented upon. The data or distribu- 

 tion was said to be remarkably complete for certain species. 



HENRY SKINNER, Secretary. 



A meeting of the American Entomological Society was held 

 October 28, 1909. In the absence of the President and Vice- 

 President, Dr. Castle occupied the chair. Fourteen persons 

 were present including Prof. F. M. Webster, of Washington, 

 D. C. 



Prof. Webster said this was the first meeting of the Society 

 he had attended. He spoke of the enormous growth of the 

 study of entomology and the increased number of people en- 

 gaged in the work and contrasted the present with days of 

 the pioneers. He referred to the skin eruption in the West 

 produced from threshing straw and due to the mite Pedicu- 

 loides ventricosus, particularly where the joint worm is com- 

 mon. Cases have been reported where the disease had been 

 contracted from straw mattresses. This disease is caused by a 

 mite, its natural food being the larva of the Angoumois grain 

 moth, the mite being predaceous. It is an external parasite on 

 insects. 



Mr. Rehn made some remarks on a trip made during the 

 past summer in company with Mr. Hebard in the western 

 states collecting Orthoptera. The territory covered was very 

 extensive and over ten thousand Orthoptera were collected. 

 A number of the localities visited were in regions unknown 

 Orthopterologically and much valuable information on the 

 food plants and habits of a number of species was secured in 

 addition to the specimens collected. Many rarities and a num- 

 ber of new species were secured. 



Dr. Skinner exhibited a Chionobas from Colorado supposed 

 to be a new species, an aberration of Melitaca inylitta and 

 AlcatJwc koritcs from New Mexico. The latter two taken 

 by Mr. John Woodgate at Fort Wingate. 



HENRY SKINNER, Sccretar\. 



