i9i8.] Proceedings of the Society. 113 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW YORK ENTOMO- 

 LOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Meeting of November 26. 



A regular meeting of the New York Entomological Society was held No- 

 vember 26, 1917, at 8:15 P. M., in the American Museum of Natural History; 

 President Harry G. Barber in the chair with nineteen members and four 

 visitors, including Mr. Fred Muir, Entomologist of the Sugar Planters' Asso- 

 ciation of Hawaii, present. 



The Secretary read notices of the death of Mr. Wm. D. Kearfott and 

 Charles Palm which will be printed in the Journal, and was instructed to send 

 letters of regret to their respective families. 



Mr. Davis presented photographs for the Album of several entomologists 

 in the field. 



The President called upon Mr. Muir to speak of his experiences in dis- 

 tant parts of the world. Mr. Muir said that in view of the length of the 

 regular program he would speak briefly of the Hawaiian Islands, which he 

 considered isolated oceanic islands to which during a tremendously long time 

 the flotsam and jetsam of ocean drift had brought a few forms of vegetable 

 and animal life from which have since been evolved the numerous species 

 that in a few tribes only now characterize its flora and fauna. It is note- 

 worthy that in this evolution no degree of adaptation is exhibited, species 

 have gone on forming regardless of adaptation. 



The peculiar simplicity of the biological conditions with known factors 

 make these islands the finest center for the study of evolution, which is also 

 encouraged by the existence of the Bishop Museum. From an economic point 

 of view, it may be said that introduced insects, from the absence of their 

 parasites, are liable to play an important role. As an example, a leaf hopper 

 damaged the sugar crop $5,000,000 in a year; but the introduction of an tgg 

 parasite from Fiji reduced this to $15,000. The absence of secondary para- 

 sites has caused such introductions of parasites to be attended with unusual 

 success. Other instances have been the introduction of a Tachinid fly from 

 New Guinea to combat a Rhynchophorous beetle, whereby a gain of 15 per 

 cent, has been effected ; and of Scolia manilcE to combat Anomala orientalis, 

 whose grubs do much damage to the roots of sugar cane. 300 Scolias were 

 introduced and have now increased to millions, having no parasites to reduce 

 their spread. 



Mr. Muir also referred to some of the insects conspicuous by their ab- 

 sence, there are for instance no indigenous Lamellicorn beetles, no Photoph- 

 agous beetles, no Cicindelidas, just as in plants there is a total absence of 

 coniferous trees ; and said that he considered such absence an evidence of the 

 islands having always been an isolated area without connection with any con- 

 tinent. Nothing has got there by walking or flying and everything that has 

 reached Hawaii could ha\e done so by ocean drift. 



