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



Meeting of May i. 



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

 8:15 P. M., on May i, 19 17, in the American Museum of Natural History, 

 President Harry G. Barber in the chair, with 13 members present. 



The Treasurer reported a balance of $1,519.33 on hand, subject, however, 

 to an unpaid bill for the Journal and to the amount due to him for advances 

 against the cost of the Van Duzee Check List. 



In reference to the latter amount, Mr. Davis said it was his desire to give 

 it with some addition to the Society, provided a satisfactory arrangement 

 were made with Farmers Loan and Trust Co. to preserve it as a permanent 

 fund. He pointed out the growth of such permanent funds in the case of a 

 sister Society and said he believed that once started, it would grow by gifts 

 from members in our case. After a general discussion and expressions of 

 appreciation of Mr. Davis's generosity from several members, the matter was 

 held over for next meeting, at which a definite proposal from the Trust Co. 

 could be presented. 



Mr. Davis, in the absence of the members of the Outing Committee, re- 

 ported briefly on the trip to Central Park, L. L, April 29, in which nine mem- 

 bers participated and found many insects on willow bloom, though the day 

 was too cold for best results. 



Mr. Dow announced a field trip to Beaver Meadow on May 6. 



The Secretary read a letter from Dr. L. O. Howard, chief of the U. S. 

 Bureau of Entomology, asking members to report any facts regarding over- 

 wintering of insects or other factors likely to influence insect abundance. 



Mr. Richardson read a paper on " Pulsatile Vessels in Aphididse," illus- 

 trated by blackboard drawings, in which these vessels, situated in the legs 

 between the femur and tibia, were described as probably connected with cir- 

 culation. It was shown that their movements were more rapid than those 

 of the dorsal heart and that their action commenced at birth and ceased with 

 death, contrary to some statements in the books concerning analogous cases. 

 The paper was discussed by the President and by Mr. Davis. 



Dr. Bequaert exhibited the Museum collection of African wasps and read 

 a paper thereon which will be printed elsewhere in full. After recounting his 

 very friendly meeting with Messrs. Lang and Chapin in the Belgian Congo, 

 and commenting on the extraordinary number of insects of all orders they 

 had collected (60,182 was the exact number supplied by Dr. Lutz) he passed 

 to a discussion of the faunal regions of Africa, illustrated by a map, and then 

 to a comparison of its wasps with other regions, ending with particular details 

 of some of the peculiar genera like Synagris and Belonogaster. 



His remarks were discussed by Messrs. Davis, Richardson, Leng and Dr. 

 Lutz, especially in regard to the faunal character of the Abyssinian Highlands. 

 Dr. Bequaert having personally collected in the African mountains was able 

 to testify to the sharp definition of their faunal zones at different altitudes, 

 but insisted that nowhere was the arctic character of European mountains 

 repeated, but always a flora and fauna peculiar to these African mountains 

 predominated. 



