March, 1913-] PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 81 



second group of Nympliulinae, making a pocket in water lily petioles. Nym- 

 phtila maculalis he knew lived on Brasenia as well as on water lilies. 



The President asked Mr. Davis what Conocephalus would probably be 

 abundant in the extensive marshes at Sandusky, O. 



Mr. Davis replied probably exiliscanorus, for one might catch caudeliamis 

 and other species dry shod, as they preferred dryish meadows not nearly so 

 wet as those frequented by exiliscanorus. 



Dr. Forbes, commenting on Mr. Leng's paper, said it was noteworthy that 

 many Lepidoptera were provided with fossorial legs. 



Mr. Schaeffer corrected Mr. Leng's statement that there were two local 

 species of Elaphrus, since he had personally taken one specimen of a third, 

 E. cicatricosus, at Fort Lee. 



Dr. Forbes, supplementing his previous remarks, stated that the true 

 Micropterygidse {Micropteryx in Europe and doubtless Epimartyria here) feed 

 on moist mosses, where they must be continually wet or partially submerged, 

 the situation being about the same as that of sphagnum. The adult moths are 

 normally found eating pollen of aquatic flowers. He also furnished a list of 

 species infesting the different aquatic plants. 



Dr. Osburn said that many Diptera were found in moist terrestrial envi- 

 ronment, the larvae of many Tipulidae and Tabanidae living and pupating in 

 mud at the edges of pools, the adults being seen resting often on the water. 

 Many groups of Muscidse and Syrphidae also might be included, living in mud 

 and burrowing in rotten wood and fungus. 



Dr. Lutz, speaking of the uncertainty as to the precise limits of each 

 environment, said it might be well to state, that xerophytic environment to be 

 discussed on December 17 should include such places as pine barrens of Lake- 

 hurst, sand dunes at Rockaway, dry hillsides, and all places too dry to tempt 

 gardening operations. It would be interesting on the assumption that insects 

 abhor absolute dryness, to show how those of the pine barrens, etc., avoid it 

 by burrowing or otherwise. It might prove that such conditions are, however, 

 eminently suited to such an order as Hymenoptera, which have been scarcely 

 cited in the aquatic or hydrophytic discussions. Continuing, Dr. Lutz said 

 that the reason the mesophytic environment stood fourth on the list was that 

 in the evolution of environments, aquatic and moist terrestrial lead to meso- 

 phytic by one route, while xerophytic leads to it by another, so that the meso- 

 phytic is the climax of the evolution of environments and is appropriately 

 reserved for later consideration. He regretted that in the discussions so far 

 but little attempt had been made to show why a given insect preferred a cer- 

 tain environment and hoped that this phase of the subject might receive 

 further thought. 



Dr. Forbes said that in the case of the species of Lencania but one was 

 provided with greasy hairs. In the damp conditions of the marshes in which 

 it lives, where presumably the fungus disease, or flacherie, would be especially 

 liable to attack the caterpillars, this species might enjoy a decided advantage 

 on account of the greasy hairs resisting the disease. 



Mr. Davis exhibited the walking stick insect, Diapheromera Carolina Scud- 



