176 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Dr. J. G. Morris referred to the fact that certain Water Beetles carry., 

 with them when they dive a globule of air underneath their bodies, and 

 asked for information as to what purpose it served. Mr. E. P. Austin said 

 that this bubble was retained underneath by the stiff hairs along the abdo- 

 men, and as it was known that the air gradually disappeared if the insect 

 remained long under water, it was supposed that the air was gradually 

 inhaled by the insect, which was thus enabled to lengthen its stay under 

 the water. 



Mr. B. P. Mann presented a list of the Entomologists of North 

 America, and requested the members to confer with him as to additions 

 and corrections. Some beautiful examples of colored drawings of Noctuge 

 by Mr. Pohlman, of Buffalo, were laid upon the table for the inspection 

 of those present, and were much admired. - 



Mr. Scudder called the attention of the members to a lepidopterous 

 insect which was doing much damage to the Pines on the Island of Nan- 

 tucket. Previous to the war of 1812 the island was well wooded, but 

 during that struggle the occupants were reduced to such straits for fuel 

 that they had burned every tree. For many years the island had remained 

 in a barren state, but some time ago plantations of Pines were begun, and 

 a broad belt of young trees of Pinns rigida from 10 to 20 feet high, with 

 scrub Oaks, now cover a large part of the island. The success of this 

 experiment is seriously threatened by the presence of the insect referred 

 to, which is a Tortrix belonging to the genus Retinia, and closely allied to 

 duplana, sylvestrana and frustrana of Europe. The larva affects the tip 

 of each terminal bud and bores its way through this into the twig to the 

 depth of -two or three inches, killing the terminal leaves and thus pre- 

 venting the trees from making any growth. The moth is double brooded 

 and has not been observed in that locality beyond the precincts of the 

 island. Mr. Scudder also presented a plate with enlarged drawings of the 

 insect and its work. 



Mr. Comstock had met with the same insect on P. wops, and had 

 found that the tips of the branches of the Pines were usually covered with 

 a web. He had also found another species of Retinia infesting the twigs 

 of P. rigida. This latter bores into the small twigs of the tree, from 

 which there exudes masses of resin. The larva lives within the branch 

 upon the wood, and before pupating forces its way through the mass to 

 the outside. 



Mr. Bassett had observed some fifteen years ago about Waterbury, 



