15 



a rearrangement of this extensive family quite in advance of any heretofore proposed. 

 Prof, Fernald has prepared a synouymical list of our North American species, which is 

 nearly ready for publication. 



The work of Mr. V. T. Chambers on the Tineidse of the United States, has been 

 vigorously prosecuted, as may be seen in his frequent publications in the Canadian En- 

 tomologist. His papers on Tineina and their Food-plants, and Index to the Described 

 Tineina of the United States and Canada (Bull. U. S. Geolog.-Geograph. Surv,, vol. iv., 

 pp. 107-167), have been appreciatively received as very convenient for reference. 



The comparatively small but difficult group of the Pterophoridae has engaged the 

 attention of Mr. Charles Fish, of Oldtown, Me., and his studies have already made him 

 our best authority in these forms. 



From the above references to special studies in several of the families of the Lepid- 

 optera, it will be seen that this attractive Order gives every promise of soon occupying 

 high vantage ground. 



In the other Orders — it is quite unnecessary that I should refer in the Coleoptera 

 to the labours of Drs. LeConte and Horn. You will know of their untiring work, 

 which has made the field which they are so thoroughly working almost exclusively 

 their own. 



In the Diptera, Mr. C. P. Whitney has published descriptions of a few species of 

 Tabanidffi. 



Mr. W. H. Patton has communicated some descriptive papers on Hymenoptera to 

 the Canadian Entomologist. 



Mr. E. T. Cresson has published a catalogue of North American Apidfe, with de- 

 scriptions of new species, comprising 108 pages of vol. vii. of the Trans. Amer. Ento- 

 log. Soc. 



Some valuable lists of species collected in particular >regions have been given us, 

 which are of service in extending our knowledge of Geographical Distribution. Among 

 these, in the Coleoptera, may be mentioned, a list by E. A. Schwarz of 1,457 Florida 

 species (Proc. Amer. Philosoph. Soc, v. 17, pp. 353-472); of 1,246 species from the Lake 

 Superior region by H. C. Hubbard and E. A. Schwarz ; by the same, of 1,787 species 

 from the lower Peninsula of Michigan (loc. cit., v. 17, pp. 593--666) ; by Dr. LeConte, of 

 220 species collected in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 6,000 feet and upwards 

 (Bull. Geolog,-Geograph. Surv. Terr., v. 4, pp. 447-480); additions to Messrs. Austin 

 and LeConte's Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Mt. \¥ashingtou, of 89 species, extending 

 the number to 319, by F. Gardiner, jr. (Psyche, v. 2, p. 211) ; 316 species from Wallace 

 Co., Kansas, by F. H. Snow (Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. vol. vi.,pp. 61-70) ; and additions 

 of 435 species to the Catalogue of Kansas Coleoptera, by E. A. Popenoe (ut. cit. pp. 77- 

 86), increasing the number to 1,711. 



In the Lepidoptera, Mr. C. E. Worthington furnishes a list of 229 species of Noc- 

 tuidas from the vicinity of Chicago, 111., (Canad. Entomol., v. xi., p. 68); Mr. W. L. 

 Devereaux, a shorter list of species taken in AVayne Co., N. Y. (ut. cit., p. 105) ; Prof. F. 

 H. Snow, a list of 104 species collected in Colorado, by the Kansas University Scientific 

 Expedition in 1876. 



The valuable biological studies of Mr. W. H. Edwards have been continued with 

 their wonted earnestness. Through the success attained by him in carrying a large 

 number of species of butterflies from the egg through their transformations, he has 

 secured their entire life-histories, several of which have been published during the past 

 year, and others illustrated in the volume of the Butterflies of North America. Of the 

 Satyridse, the larva of which are so rarely met with that I may venture to say many 

 members of this Club have not seen a living example, he has reared all of our Eastern 

 species with the two exceptions of Satyrus Pec/ale and Chionobas semidea. The interesting 

 experiments in producing change in the imago by the application of cold to the chrysahs 

 have been continued and been duly recorded. 



A large number of biological papers have been contributed to our Entomological 

 journals. From those accessible to me at the time of writing I find contributions from 

 the following : — C. J. S. Bethune, J. Boll, Robert Bunker, V. T. Chambers, A. J. Cook, 

 Charles Dury, H. Edwards, W. H. Edwards, J. H. Emerton, G. H. French, H. A. 



