Dec, 1922.] Proceedings of the Society. 199 



Dr. Bequaert spoke in behalf of the publishers of the Zoological Record, 

 stating that unless pecuniary aid were forthcoming, its publication would 

 probably be suspended to the great detriment of science, especially entomol- 

 ogy, which took a large part of each volume. 



Mr. Davis mentioned the public assistance extended to some similar 

 publications. 



Mr. Sherman spoke against the Fordney Tariff Bill which would raise 

 the cost of foreign publications to Americans 20 per cent. 



Dr. Bequaert under the title " Wingless Hymenoptera with special refer- 

 ence to Mutillidae " reviewed the advantages of the power of flight bestowed 

 throughout the animal kingdom as a preliminary to the detailed consideration 

 of the few cases in which special conditions made the absence of wings 

 nevertheless desirable. Such conditions obtained in less than i per cent, 

 of the Hymenoptera (omitting ants) and occurred occasionally in subter- 

 ranean gall flies of burrowing habit and quite regularly in the females in 

 the Mutillidae and Thynnidae. The life habits of these insects were then 

 traced, the advantage of the wingless condition shown, as well as the con- 

 comitant modifications of thoracic structure. The much greater rarity of 

 wingless males was mentioned and as instances thereof, the aquatic Prest- 

 witchia, parasitic on water beetle eggs, and the fig insect were given. Com- 

 parisons with other orders, especially Diptera, were introduced, and compli- 

 mentary reference made to the work on Wings of Diptera by Mario Bezzi, 

 Dr. Bequaert being inclined to consider the flight power of Diptera superior. 



In the discussion that followed Mr. Davis expressed admiration for 

 the ability of Odonata to maintain long distance flight, citing their wide- 

 spread distribution. Dr. Bequaert, however, thought the Diptera displayed, 

 by use of halteres, far greater control, likening them to an aeroplane capable 

 of entering a window, folding its wings and taking a seat in the room. 



Various phases of the wingless condition in different orders were dis- 

 cussed by Dr. Sturtevant, Messrs. Notman, Davis, Dickerson, Johnson, Tee 

 Van and other members, while the boxes of Mutillidas brought by Dr. Bequaert 

 were being passed around the room, bringing out the difficulty of correlating 

 the sexes, the length of the ovipositor, etc. 



Meeting of Jan. 17. 



A regular meeting of the New York Entomological Society was held at 

 8:00 P.M. on Jan. 17, 1922, in the American Museum of Natural History, 

 Pres. John D. Sherman, Jr.. in the chair, with 20 members present. 



Dr. Sturtevant under the title " Fifteen Months in Central California " 

 described the climate and life zones of the region, illustrating his remarks 

 by maps, photographs, botanical and entomological specimens. His collecting 

 had been principally in Diptera and had yielded a new species of Drosophila, 

 males of a species of Lonchoptera, heretofore rarely found, and Sinophthalmus 

 picttis. The localities visited included Pacific Grove, Palo Alto and the 

 Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe. 



