170 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Voi. xxi. 



Mr. Grossbeck added that the species of Envanessa, Vanessa and Grapta 

 are frequently seen in orchards about piles of decaying vegetable matter. He 

 also mentioned Basilarchia ursula as common on manure, and the finding of 

 eight Thyris lugubris on a dead snake at Lakehurst. 



Mr. Shoemaker mentioned finding Basilarchia proserpine on a dead 

 woodchuck. 



Mr. Woodruff said he had seen Thyris lugubris on a dead snake and a 

 dozen at once on human excrement. 



Mr. Olsen also mentioned the occurrence of diurnal Lepidoptera on dead 

 snakes, and Mr. Franck said the images of Lepidoptera were often attracted 

 by decaying matter. 



Mr. Schaeffer added that he had found their larvae in decaying cactus. 



Mr. Davis said that Tineid moths, feeding upon garments of wool and 

 hair, must be considered among carrion feeders, like Trox among beetles. 

 He cited Trichophaga tapetsella^ which he had found on owl pellets containing 

 much hair, and whose work therein is more fully described in Proc. S. I. Ass. 

 A. and S., I, p. 85, 1906. 



Dr. Osburn then spoke of the Diptera, in which the families Sarco- 

 phagidse, Scatophagidse, and Muscidae are largely scavengers, as well as many 

 Syrphidae and scattered species in other families. Volucella for instance, 

 feeding on bees that die in the nest and Microdon tristis, inquilinous in ants' 

 nests. Species feeding directly on excrement are Syritta pipiens and Eristalis 

 tenax, the latter following privy vaults around the world. The transition 

 from feeding upon decaying vegetable matter to excrementitious matter is 

 readily traced in Diptera. 



Mr. Dickerson spoke of tracing flies which were troublesome in spotting 

 peonies at Fairlawn, N. J., to a foul mass of skin and hair about three fields 

 back in which thousands of flies and maggots and many Trox were found. 



Dr. Osburn speaking of ants said that a tiny red ant common in Tortugas 

 devoured dead insects with such speed that insects left exposed for an hour 

 were entirely eaten ; and they were made even useful in cleaning skeletons. 

 He described the long lines of these ants proceeding from the nests. 



Mr. Davis said the tiny red ant was very likely Monomoriiim pharaonis 

 Linn, often found in houses in warm regions, a cosmopolitan species which 

 he had found even in New York City. 



Mr. Woodruff recorded the occurrence of the caddis fly Neuronia pardalis 

 at Lakehurst and Ramapo, the latter being a capture by Frank E. Watson, 

 now in Mr. Davis's collection. 



Dr. Barnes, upon invitation, spoke of his collection of Lepidoptera, saying 

 that his effort for thirty-five years had been to have specimens compared with 

 the type, labeled to show location of type, type locality, where description 

 could be found and food plant, so as to avoid frequent unnecessary reference 

 to literature. Abovit 1,000 to 1,200 actual types have been accumulated, and 



^ This name is erroneously printed tapetiella in Smith's List of the Insects 

 of New Jersey, p. 574. 



