382 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Oct., '14 



Kansas, and of the Biological Expeditions sent out by the 

 University of Kansas, was then read. 



Mr. Grundel reported a prolonged collecting trip to the 

 Sierras. 



Mr. Harold C. Bryant gave a very instructive talk on "Pro- 

 tective Devices in Insects." He asked for the opinions of the 

 members present. It was stated that bee-birds (Tyrannus 

 verticalis and T. vociferans} feed only upon the drone bees. 

 Dr. Blaisdell stated that he was positive that they feed abund- 

 antly upon the worker-bees (Apis mellifica), for, during four- 

 teen years in which he had worked in an apiary, he had shot 

 hundreds of bee-birds to protect the worker-bees. The stom- 

 achs of the birds were repeatedly examined and found filled 

 with bee-stings which appeared to be indigestible. 



Mr. Ralph Hopping, who is engaged in the Forestry Serv- 

 ice for Insect Control, gave an account of the work done in 

 the service, speaking in particular on the ravages of Dendroc- 

 tonus and Phloesinus; the former killing the trees on which 

 they depredate, the latter only the branches. 



Mr. Bridwell spoke of two rare or little known species of 

 Hymenoptera which he had collected Methoca californica 

 Westwood, female, from Monte Rio, Sonoma Co., California, 

 parasitic in the burrows of tiger-beetles, and the female of a 

 new species of Myrmosa taken on the University of Califor- 

 nia campus, Berkeley. 



Mr. Grundel stated that the larvae of Arctia become abund- 

 ant at times in the Santa Cruz Mountains and defoliate all 

 of the live oaks. 



President Van Dyke gave a review of the genera of the 

 Elateridae. 



Dr. Blaisdell exhibited specimens of Thysanocnemis helvolns 

 and Idiostethus tnbiihtits collected by beating in the vicinity 

 of Baltimore, Md. ; two specimens of Synetocephalus antumna- 

 lis Fall, collected at Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, Cali- 

 fornia, in October, from the foliage of the live oaks (Quercus 

 wslizem). 



Adjournment and refreshments. 



