209 



A letter was read from Oneida County, New York, giving 

 a descrii^tion, and an account of the ravages of an Aphis^ 

 on the wheat, barley, and oats of that district. 



Mr. Scudder remarked that it was evidently the same as had been 

 observed in Western Massachusetts, where, however, it was not sup- 

 posed to have committed any great injury ; it was generally believed 

 to^^be the A. granaria (Fabr.), brought to this country with the grain 

 distributed from the Patent Office. It had appeared in great num- 

 bers, and in isolated localities far removed from each other. Another 

 species had done great damage to the cherry trees. 



Another insect pest, the army worm, had appeared this year in 

 immense numbers, though not for the first time ; according to authors 

 there have been four or five previous visitations ; as the myriads of 

 this year must have proceeded from eggs laid last year, it must be 

 that a far greater number than usual of these eggs have been 

 hatched, and that their natural enemies (small Jiymenopterd) have 

 been much less abundant. It is a moth of the noctua tribe. The so- 

 called army worm of the South, which attacks the cotton plant, is a 

 difierent species. 



Some fossil corals from the drift at the Readville station, 

 Dedham, Mass., were presented by Dr. H. Bryant. 



According to Professor Agassiz, these are identical with the madre- 

 pores now found in Florida, and, as such are foreign to this region, 

 must have been brought here by human and not by geological 

 agency. 



Messrs. William M. Gabb, of Philadelj^hia ; Prof Henry 

 A. Ward, of the University of Rochester, N". Y. ; and N. 

 H. Bishop, of Pointville, N. J., were elected corresponding 

 members ; and Mr. Carleton A. ShurtlefF, of Brookline, a 

 resident member. 



DONATIONS TO THE MUSEUM. 



September 4, 1861. Several species of land shells from Cuba; by Dr. Gund- 

 lach. Shells from Old Point Comfort, Va., and young clupeoids from the 

 Potomac River ; by Dr. S. Kneeland, Jr. 



September 18. Human skeleton; head of an Egj'-ptian mummy from 

 Thebes; skeleton of a dog; several human crania; elephants' teeth, miscel- 

 laneous human bones, skulls and horns of ruminants, minerals, and weapons 

 of Pacific islanders ; by Mrs. J. F. W. Lane. Fossil corals (madrepores), from 

 Readville station, Dedham, Mass. ; by Dr. H. Bryant. Specimens of argillace- 

 ous clay, from Bladensburg, Md.; by Dr. S. A. Green. 



PROCEEDIKGS B- S. 3J. H.— VOL. VIII. 14 NOVEMBEK, 1881. 



