144 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xxv. 



filled with ladybirds at an elevation in California of 3,800 to 4,000 feet, with 

 masses congregated under logs and stones. This was, however, contrary to 

 Dr. Lutz's experience not at the summit of the mountain. 



Meeting of April 17. 



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

 8:15 P. M., April 17, 1917, in the American Museum of Natural History, 

 President Harry G. Barber in the chair with z-j members and two visitors 

 present. The meeting was preceded by supper in the Mitla Restaurant. 



A letter from Dr. L. O. Howard was read and discussed by Dr. Felt, Mr. 

 Weiss, Mr. Dow and others ; the Secretary was instructed to reply, pledging 

 the support of the members in the steps advocated by Dr. Howard. 



Mr. Davis read a letter from Henry Brown, sending greetings from 

 France. 



Mr. Davis then spoke of his experiences in " Collecting Insects along the 

 James River." He was the guest last summer of Col. Wirt Robinson, in the 

 latter's home at Wingina, Nelson Co., Va., where he found a wild country, 

 with few roads but attractive paths through the woods. After giving some 

 illustrations from other classes of the wild character of the country, Mr. 

 Davis read extracts from his notes relating to the insects he had caught, 

 mentioning especially his success in finding Cicada by following up big 

 hornets Sphecius speciosus and digging out their concealed treasures ; Col. 

 Robinson's observation confirmed by himself that it is male Papilio and 

 Limenitis that congregate at roadside drinking places ; with some expressions 

 borrowed from the colored people, as " news fly " for Milesia virginiensis sug- 

 gested by its habit of remaining near one on the wing, but stationary as if 

 it were trying by its buzzing to convey news of some kind. " Junie bug " 

 was another expression, used for Allorhina nitida, a very common insect, by 

 both white and colored ; and both believed that no geometer larva must be 

 dislodged from your garments while it is " measuring you for a new suit." 

 Col. Robinson's Museum, with its copious illustration of local species was a 

 great attraction, and it was Mr. Davis's good fortune to be able to add to 

 it from his local captures, Canthon viridis, Disonycha discoidea and P'lnn- 

 gcEUS crucigerns, the first being found on toad droppings. Mr. Davis also 

 crossed the James River into Buckingham County, where the Hesperian, 

 Achalaris cellus was part of the booty and the Ceuthophilus gracilipes found 

 in Old Joe's Cave, another part, all reinforced by the beautiful river scenes, 

 shown by photographs, amid which they were captured. 



Leaving Col. Robinson's home, Mr. Davis traveled down the river to 

 Richmond, Old Point Comfort, Fort Monroe, Cape Charles and thence home 

 by rail, noting on the way that Providence Forge, Lanexa and Hampton 

 looked like good entomological stations, especially the latter, on account of 

 its trolley communications. 



He collected in the flat country at Seven Pines near Richmond and at Fort 

 Monroe, where by permission of the authorities, he got into a section of scrub 



