OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XV, 1913 107 



extend Mr. Fairchild a vote of thanks for exhibiting these pictures 

 for the first time to its members. 



The following paper was read by title: " Pseudomasaris Bred in 

 California" by T. D. A. Cockerell. 



PSEUDOMASARIS BRED IN CALIFORNIA. 



BY T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



A number of years ago at Pecos, New Mexico, my wife and I 

 found Pseudomasaris vespoides (Cresson) in quantity, visiting flow- 

 ers of Pentstemon. Numerous efforts to follow the wasps to their 

 nesting places were wholly unsuccessful, much to our disappoint- 

 ment. I was therefore greatly interested to receive, a few days 

 ago, a Pseudomasaris from Professor D. E. Merrill, with the infor- 

 mation that it had been bred by Dr. George Robertson at Redlands, 

 California, from a nest having the shape of an inverted cone, and 

 composed principally of sand, fastened to the stem of some plant. 

 In being fastened to the stem of a plant, the nest resembles that of 

 Celonites, but apparently differs in the openings being directed 

 upwards instead of downwards, as well as in the shape. The insect 

 is very close to the Rocky Mountain P. vespoides, but apparently 

 subspecifically distinct. 



Pseudomasaris vespoides robertsoni, new subspecies. 



Female: Like P. vespoides, but with the sculpture of the mesothorax not 

 so coarse; scutellum with the small punctures closer and finer, the large ones 

 few and very weak; median black lobes of abdominal bands rather more ex- 

 tensive; last ventral segment of abdomen with a median black stripe, broad- 

 ening basally, on its basal half. 



Habitat: Redlands, California, June, 1912 (G. Robertson). 

 Type: Cat. No. 15529 U. S. N. M. 



MEETING OF APRIL 3, 1913. 



The 267th regular meeting of the Society was entertained by 

 Mr. E. A. Schwarz in the Ssengerbund Hall, 314 C street N.W., on 

 the evening of April 3, 1913, and there were present Messrs. Baker, 

 Banks, Barber, Burke, Busck, Caudell, Cory, Craighead, Gush- 

 man, Dyar, Fisher, Gahan, Hall, Heidemann, Heinrich, Hood r 

 Hopkins, Howard, Hunter, Jennings, Knab, Meyers, Pierce, Roh- 

 wer, Sasscer, Schwarz, Shannon, Snyder, Turner, Walton, and 



