104 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



disturbed.* Notwithstanding the extraordinary abundance of the larvse 

 in 1878, there were but few to be seen last year in this neighborhood. 



An account of the " Tomato Worm " will hardly be complete without 



some reference to the supposed poisonous character of the larva. Some 



ten years ago, when in charge of the Entomological department of the 



Canada Farmer, I took the trouble to trace up some of the stories then 



very common in the newspapers about cases of poisoning and death from 



the effects of the bite or sting or venemous spittle of this insect ! The 



result of my enquiries in many instances proved to be exceedingly 



amusing. In every case I found that no one could give any information 



whatever as to even the name of the person who was supposed to have 



died from the effects of this insect, nor could I obtain a single authentic 



instance of injury from it This was, of course, what was to be expected 



as the caterpillar is physically incapable of injuring anyone with its bite — - 



much less with its tail or horn, or imaginary sting. In all probability 



these stories have originated in the fact that persons have been severely 



affected by getting some of the juices of the tomato plant into an open 



cut or sore, and then ignorantly have attributed their trouble to the venom 



of the ugly but innocent caterpillar. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF ENTOMOLOGICAL CLUB, A. A. A. S. 



The annual meeting of the Entomological Club of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science will be held at the Museum 

 of the Boston Society of Natural History, corner of Berkeley and Boylston 

 Sts., Boston, commencing at 2 p. m., Tuesday, Aug. 24, 1880. It is 

 proposed to send to every member of the American Association, and to 

 all others who may favor the undersigned with their address for that 

 purpose, a circular announcing the special subjects which will be pre- 

 sented at this meeting of the Club ; and therefore all entomologists who 

 desire to read communications at that time are requested to notify one of 

 the undersigned before August 1st. This will ensure a fuller discussion 

 of the topics presented, and, it is hoped, a larger attendance. 



B. Pickman Mann, Secy, Samuel H. Scudder, Pres., 



Cambridge, Mass. Cambridge, Mass. 



r The imago emerged from the pupa referred to on the 27th of May, after being 

 nearly two years in that state. 



