Kneeland.] 120 [Februarys, 



plish its transformation, the fliuid will be active. Such an insect has 

 much analogy with a vertebrate born prematurely, the insect, like the 

 quadruped, remaining almost motionless till the natural time for its 

 birth arrives. 



Mr. Sanborn remarked that it was frequently for the want of moist- 

 ure that attempts to rear Lepidoptera had proved unsuccessful, the in- 

 sect being unable to expand its wings in a heated dry room ; he had 

 avoided this difficulty by placing the insect just emerged, or about to 

 come forth, beneath a bell glass, within which he had placed moistened 

 pieces of bibulous paper. 



February 6, 1867. 



Vice President, Dr. C. T. Jackson, in the chaii-. Thirty- 

 seven members present. 



The following paper was read : 



On a Fungoid Parasite, or Caterpillar Fungus, from the 

 Philippine Islands. By Dr. Samuel Kneeland. 



Entomophytes, Fungoid Parasites on Insects, or Caterpillar Fungi 

 have generally been described in works on Botany, the plant portion 

 having attracted the most attention. Mr. G. P. Gray has specially 

 described (1858) the insect portion of the Entomophytes, taking them 

 up in the usual order of Entomological systems. 



These parasitical plants or fungi infest insects of all orders, and in 

 the larva, pupa, and imago states ; some orders are, however, specially 

 subject to them, from their habitats exposing them to become the ba- 

 sis for this vegetable growth. 



The Coleoptera, many of which in all their stages live under stones, 

 in damp earth, and among decaying vegetable and animal matters, are 

 very liable to these attacks ; and the fungus is seen protruding, sin- 

 gle or multiple, from all parts of the grub or beetle. The aquatic 

 forms appear to be free from the fungus. Many of their larvae re- 

 main several years before undergoing metamorphosis, giving ample 

 time and opportunity to receive the parasitic germs while under 

 ground, during the tropical rainy season. There is no doubt that the 

 growth begins internally, as specimens have been found in which the 

 fungus was just bursting forth from some part of the body. The 



