l888.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 169 



10. Belostotna Americana, captured in New York City : by F. 

 W. Leggett. 



1 1. A Beetle in amber : by James Walker. 



12. A collection of Beetles from China : by K. F. Junor. 

 Mr. F. W. Devoe read a Paper, entitled " The Beetle, Zo- 



pherus mexicanus, Sol., cutting metal," and illustrated by objects, 

 as announced above. This Paper is published in this number 

 of the Journal, p. 145. 



Professor Samuel Lockwood, Ph. D., read a Paper, entitled 

 "On the Larva of the Stag-Beetle, eating Rail Road Ties." 

 This Paper is published in this number of the Journal, p. 147. 



"brush and comb" of the fore leg of the beetle, har- 

 palus pennsylvanicus, deg. 



The Rev. J. L. Zabriskie : " On the inner edge, and near the 

 distal extremity of the tibia of the fore leg in this Beetle is seen 

 a large, movable spine, lying over and extending beyond a 

 gently curved notch fringed with hairs, which apparatus is 

 doubtless intended for cleaning the antennae. 



" Eleven years ago I published in the American Journal of 

 Microscopy, vol. II (1877), p. 77, an article, applying the name 

 " Brush and Comb " to a similar apparatus in the Hymenoptera. 



" This is found in all the Hymenoptera, excepting a few of 

 the lower genera, as a striking feature of the external structure. 

 There need be no mistake concerning its use in the Hymenop- 

 tera. As far as I am aware this use is most clearly seen in the 

 case of oiir common paper-making wasps, Polistes anularis, Fab., 

 and P. metricus, Say. When these wasps alight they habitually 

 employ part of the time in cleaning the antennae, by throwing a 

 fore leg over the adjoining antenna, catching the antenna be- 

 tween the notch and spine of the leg, and, by a downward move- 

 ment of the leg, drawing the antenna through the circular open- 

 ing formed by this apparatus. After this has been repeated a 

 few times the leg is cleaned, by being drawn through the man- 

 dibles, and thoroughly washed off with vigorous motions of the 

 mouth-parts. 



" There is this difference to be noted in the form of this appar- 

 atus in the Hymenoptera, and in the case of this Beetle. In the 

 Hymenoptera the spine is situated near the distal end of the 



