192 . [January, 1884. 



in the early part of this century. Lo Conte'B attention was thus early directed to 

 the field in which he became so renowned, and being a man of great courage, 

 self-reliance and energy, he, as long ago as 1844, intimated his regret at seeing 

 American insects going to Europe for determination and description, and set himself 

 to remedy this by doing the work himself. This task he has carried on with 

 unfailing energy for about forty years, the result being, that in this period, he has 

 named and described about 5000 species of North American Coleoptera, and 

 characterized about five hundred genera. It is, however, as a writer- on the 

 classification of Coleoptera, that he has gained his widest reputation. Having to 

 study and arrange a comparatively unknown fauna, he investigated the classifications 

 in vogue, and scarcely ever failed to suggest important modifications and improve- 

 ments ; in 1861 — 2, his work on the classification of North American Coleoptera was 

 published by the Swithsonian Institute, but was left uncompleted till the spring of the 

 present year (1883), when a second and complete edition was brought out with the 

 assistance of Dr. Geo. H. Horn. His labours were recognised in Europe by his being 

 elected honorary member of most of the more important Entomological societies, and 

 in 1874, he was President of the American Association for the advancement of science. 

 For many years he was almost the sole Coleopterist of ability in North America, 

 but recently he had been much assisted by his fellow-citizen, Dr. Geo. H. Horn. 

 Le Conte's health had for some year or two past given anxiety to his friends, as he 

 had threatenings of apoplexy, and on the 15th of November last he died. He 

 held an appointment in the American Mint at Philadelphia, and was, we believe, 

 about QG years of age, the date 1825 given in Hagen's Bibliotheca* as the year of 

 his birth, being erroneous. His important collection of North American Coleoptera 

 will go, I understand, to the Museum at Cambridge Massachusetts. — D. Shaep. 



Entomological Society of London : ?>th September, 1883.- -J. W. Dunning, 

 Esq., M.A., F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



Baron C. R. Osten-Sacken, of Heidelberg, was elected a Foreign Member. 



Sir S. S. Saunders exhibited examples of the true " Cynips caricce," of Hassel- 

 quist, obtained from Smyrna figs, and gave interesting details of the history of the 

 species, and of the errors that had occui'red in connection with it. Some unknown 

 depredator entered the figs and destroyed the insects, for there were the remains of 

 many individuals indicated only by the apes of the abdomen and long, hard ovi- 

 positor. The larva of a Chrysopa had also been found in the figs. 



Mr. Enock exhibited a very fine hermaphrodite example of Maeropis labiata, 

 in which the external characters of both sexes were distinctly represented, and the 

 genitalia also appeared to refer to the two sexes. He remarked on the rarity of 

 gynandromorphism in bees, and it was suggested that a full description (with 

 figures) should be drawn up of this example. 



Mr. Coverdale exhibited GrapholUha cmcana, Schliiger, taken by liim at Deal, 

 and new to Britain ; cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., ante p. 83. 



The Rev. H. S. Gorham read a paper on the Lycidce of Japan, with intro- 

 ductory notes, which gave rise to considerable discussion. 



* Hagen .siraply says " 182p." Henshaw, in Dimmock's "Special Bibliography" saj-s "May 

 13th, 1825," the information having been obtained from the American ' ' PoiJular Science Monthly " 

 for 1874. — Editors. 



