OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIII, 1911. 91 



One more curious observation. These caterpillars are much 

 attracted by something about the green pulp and brownish 

 seeds of a broken seed-pod of the "Jamestown weed" 

 {Datura), I had broken one of these open, and the broken 

 ends and seeds were lying near where the caterpillars were 

 crawling. Several of them walked over and investigated the 

 broken pod and seeds with evident interest, mouthing the 

 seeds over and nibbling at their edges and at the broken 

 edges of the pod. Evidently the taste was disappointing to 

 them, as they soon ceased nibbling and hurried on their way. 

 But uninitiated caterpillars eagerly nibbled at the pod, and one 

 even stopped in the midst of a headlong flight from pursuit 

 to taste the dainty. 



A cocoon of this moth was also found in which there was a 

 dead pupa of a parasitic hymenopter, probably Chalcis oruta. 

 There were also present living larvae of some dermestid beetle, 

 of the genus Anlhrenus or Cryptorhopalum which appeared 

 to have killed the Chalcis pupa. For the identification of 

 these specimens, I am indebted to Mr. Barber of the U. S. 

 National Museum. 



A request by Mr. Quaintance for information on the green- 

 plant food habits of white ants, and describing a peculiar case 

 of injury to a health}' apple nursery in Kansas, induced some 

 discussion by Messrs. Webster, Kelly, Hunter, and Marlatt. 

 Mr. Hunter said that T. flaz'ipcs destroys living cotton 

 plants in Texas. Mr. Marlatt stated the species is omnivorus, 

 eating even potatoes in the fields and often injuring orange 

 trees extensively. 



MEETING OF FEBRUARY 2, 1911. 



The 247th regular meeting of the Society was entertained 

 by the President February 2, 1911, in the lecture room of the 

 Cosmos Club, with twenty-five members present (Messrs. 

 Barber, Bishopp, Caudell, Dyar, Ely, Gahan, Gill, Hopkins, 

 Howard, Hunter, Jenne, F. Johnson, T. H. Jones, Knab, 

 Marlatt, A. C. Morgan, Nelson, E. F. Phillips, W. J. Phillips, 

 Pierce, Rohwer, Sasscer, Smyth, Walton, and Webster), and 

 fifteen visitors (Dr. K. C. Cotley, G. G. Gandara, J. B. Gill, 

 C. E. Hood. C. W. Hooker, J. R. luda, T. H. Parks, Ruth- 



