H 



which was five degrees higher than he had ever seen it in Janu- 

 ary. With us it does not seem that vegetation has started much, 

 but in the neighborhood of Iron Mountain honeysuckles were in 

 bud, and in Arkansas apricots are beginning to bloom. The 

 doctor then adverted to the cultivation of the western catalpa. 



Dr. Engelmann reported that Prof. Sergeant of Massachusetts, 

 superintendent of that portion of the coming census which refers 

 to forest trees, has spent some days in this section. One of the 

 interesting points was his visit to Southeast Missouri, where the 

 catalpa grows. Near Charleston, Mississippi Co., Mo., he found 

 this tree quite abundantly, and the Ii'on Mountain railroad is 

 testing it for their purposes. It makes a fine and growing tree 

 for our farms, makes excellent fence rails and posts, and can be 

 utilized in many ways. 



February i6, iS8o. 



Hon. A. Todd, Vice President, in the chair. Nine members 

 present. 



The meeting was devoted to business. 



March i, 1880. 



The President in the chair. Eleven members present. 

 Miss Mary E. Murtfeldt read the following note on 



IMMIGRANT INSECTS, ESPECIALLY THE EUROPEAN CABBAGE-WORM. 



One of the most important as well as interesting questions with which 

 the economic entomologist has to deal is that of the migration of injurious 

 insects. 



The tide of travel, with insects as with men, seems naturally to be from 

 east to west. Occasionally there are examples to the contrary, as in the 

 case of the Grape Phylloxera and the Colorado Potato beetle. With these 

 two notable exceptions, however, Europe has not received from America 

 any considerable pest to offset the almost innumerable noxious species 

 that have immigrated to us from the other side of the Atlantic. 



As a negative illustration of this natural progress from east to west may 

 be mentioned the comparative scarcity of Asiatic species along our Pacific 

 seaboard. With steamers plying regularly between our western ports and 

 those of India, China and Japan, engaged in a varied and extensive com- 

 merce, it is remarkable that so small a percentage of oriental insect-fauna 



