168 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xxi. 



var. sinnosa found at Lakeland, and commented on the large numbers in 

 which some of them occurred on oak trees at LaBelle, sometimes three being 

 caught at once. The C. micronympha especially mimic the bark on which 

 they rest so perfectly that it was necessary to pass a stick up and down the 

 bark to avoid the risk of overlooking some. 



Mr. Grossbeck, commenting further at Mr. Davis's request, pointed out 

 the interesting and rare varieties included in Mr. Davis's collection, such as 

 var. gisela of which only two specimens were in the Museum Collection, and 

 var. sinuosa of which only two or three were in existence in all collections. 



Mr. Grossbeck recorded the observation of Euvanessa antiopa in flocks 

 of a dozen to twenty, flying in a northerly direction from the outlying 

 islands to Freeport, L. I., on October 3, 1912, by Mr. H. Thurston. It was 

 conservatively estimated that 500 specimens were thus seen migrating. 



Meeting of February 18. 



A regular meeting of the New York Entomological Society was held Feb- 

 ruary 18, 1913, at 8:15 P. M., in The American Museum of Natural History, 

 President Dr. Raymond C. Osburn in the chair, with twenty-four members 

 and two visitors. Dr. Frederick A. Lucas, director of the American Museum, 

 and Dr. William Barnes, present. 



Dr. William Barnes, Decatur, 111., was nominated for active membership 

 by Mr. Davis. 



On motion the by-laws were suspended and Dr. Barnes was immediately 

 elected. 



Mr. C. H. Roberts read a paper entitled " Criticar Notes on the Species of 

 Haliplidse of America north of Mexico with Descriptions of New Species " 

 and exhibited his collection. As this paper will be printed in full in the 

 Journal, no abstract is given here. 



The paper was discussed by Messrs. Weeks, Schaefifer, Sherman and 

 Leng, the latter pointing out that while the genus Cnemidotus was properly 

 described by Erichson in 1832, the name itself had been proposed in 1802 for 

 a species of Haliplus, becoming thereby a synonym, so that the substitution of 

 Peltodytes by Regimbart in 1878 was a proper course. 



The president opened the Symposium on Insects of Carrion and Excre- 

 ment by general remarks, tracing particularly the possible origin of the habit. 



Mr. Leng read a paper on " Beetles of Carrion and Excrement," in which 

 he pointed out that while beetles like Silpha are confined to carrion, beetles 

 like Canthon to excrement, and beetles like Necrobia to predaceous attacks 

 upon other insects attracted by carrion and excrement, there were besides 

 many beetles in which the habit was less exclusively developed vintil finally 

 the boundary became vague. He referred also to the factors controlling the 

 distribution of such insects, particularly the adaptability of some genera like 

 Cercyon, leading to their wide distribution. 



Mr. Weeks spoke of the Staphylinidae frequenting excrement with preda- 

 ceous designs, stating that he had seen them jumping at flies. He spoke also 



