Eeakirt.] 150 [March 27, 



Dr. Carl Hitter von Scherzer of Vienna, was elected a 

 Corresponding Member. 

 Mr. Frank I. Tolman Avas elected a Resident Member. 



Section of Entomology. March 27, 1867. 



Mr. John Cummings, Jr., in the chair. Fifteen members 



present. 



Mr. F. G. Sanborn read the following letter from Mr. 

 Tryon Reakirt concerning a colored drawing of a butterfly 

 by Mr. Wm. C. Fish, captured at Sandwich, Mass. 



The drawing is a good representation of what Dr. Fisher termed 

 Argynnis Aatarte, which, having been preoccupied, he replaced by Ash- 

 taroth. I consider it, however, only a variety of the female of Idalia. 

 It seems to be very rare. I have an example taken on tlie west side 

 of the Schuylkill. Dr. Fisher's original specimen was captured in New 

 Jersey. 



It is somewhat singular that North America should produce exactly 

 the same number of instances of divergence from the normal ? type 

 of the Argtjnnides as the Old World, and that the amount of devia- 

 tion should be so equal. Arg. paphia, vai*. valesina, agrees with our 

 Idalia, not only in the degree of variation, but In Its local distribution; 

 in both, too, the separation from the parent species is but partial. The 

 other species, In which the sexual segregation is complete, are Diana 

 and Sagana of North China ; with the differences of Diana you are 

 well acquainted ; the $ and 9 of Sagana differ still more ; Avhen I firet 

 saw the ? , I thought it belonged to the genus Adolias. 



The drawing is well executed ; the white spots on the underside of 

 the wings are brilliantly glossed with silver, otherwise It agrees very 

 closely with my specimen. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder exhibited drawings and specimens of 

 fossil insects from the Devonian rocks of New Brunswick. 



Six tolerably well-preserved specimens had been obtained by Mr. 

 C. F. Hartt, all belonging to the Nem-optera, but differing so much 

 from any now living, that several must be considered as representa- 

 tives of new famiUes. They were the earliest traces of insect life yet 



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