March, 1917.] Proceedings of the Society. 89 



Meeting of December 19. 



A regular meeting of the New York Entomological Society was held 

 December 19, 1916, at 8:15 P. M., in the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, President Harry G. Barber in the chair, with 25 members and a number 

 of visitors, including Prof. J. S. Hine and Prof. E. E. Calder, present. 



The president appointed as a Nominating Committee Dr. Lutz, Mr. 

 Dickerson and Mr. Shefman. 



Mr. Dow read a paper on " The Insect Progeny of Adam's First Wife " 

 in which he reviewed the myth of Lilith, who, according to the Talmud, was 

 the wife of Adam before the creation of Eve, but, leaving her husband, became 

 the consort of Beelzebub and the mother of noxious insects. The analogy 

 between Beelzebub, the Semitic lord of flies, and similar conceptions of other 

 ancient nations was considered and numerous citations from Hebrew writings 

 were given to illustrate that, as pointed out in previous papers on- Zend, 

 Sanscrit and Egyptian antiquities, it is the insects hurtful to man, like hornets, 

 bees, flies, etc., that first attracted notice. In closing Mr. Dow traced the 

 myth of Lilith through to modern times and mentioned some of the modern 

 words derived from her name. 



Dr. Forbes exhibited part of the Seifert collection and spoke of the 

 evidence it presented of " Mendelian Variation in Apantesis." He first ex- 

 plained briefly the theory of Mendel and then illustrated it by the variations 

 shown in the bred families of phalerata, vittata and nais, with the conclusion 

 that mere breeding true is not a test of specific difference in Apantesis. 



His remarks were discussed by Messrs. Angell, |Weeks and Davis, the 

 latter asking why the extensive breeding experiments of Dr. Seifert did not 

 disclose more mutations. 



Dr. Forbes pointed to a specimen with transparent hind-wing border area 

 as a possible example of mutation ; and the comparatively small number bred 

 as the reason for there being no more. 



Mr. Dow in this connection spoke of the work now in progress by Teetz 

 and Mr. Olsen spoke of Papilio glancus. 



Mr. Wright read a paper, " Notes on Californian Lepidoptera," illustrated 

 by many specimens of Pherne vernalaria and Larentia switseraria and swet- 

 taria and their variations. He described some of his collecting places and 

 spoke of the collectors and authors who have worked with Californian 

 geometers ; dwelling particularly upon the enormous numbers in which some 

 species were obtained and their great variability, leading often to synonymy 

 in descriptive work. 



Dr. Forbes said that he had found the variability quite as great in some 

 eastern species and gave instances of some errors due thereto. 



Prof. J. S. Hine, upon invitation by the President, spoke briefly of his 

 studies in Diptera and particularly Tabanidae, which as carriers of disease in 

 cattle, are become constantly of increasing economic importance. 



