— 140—^ 



2. That the profits are so small that by far the larger proportion of 

 those who become interested abandon the culture after the first year. 



3. That the present encouragement given by Congress through the 

 Department of Agriculture has been productive of good in that it has en- 

 abled the establishment of three reeling centres, one at Philadelphia, one 

 at New Orleans and one at San Francisco, which are in active operation 

 and furnish a home market for cocoons. 



4. That there is great difficulty in carrying on the experiment on 

 true business principles because of the law which prevents the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture from selling the products of these reels and thus 

 utilizing the income. 



5. That this encouragement has intensified the interest felt in the 

 subject, but that it can endure only so long as Congress chooses to con- 

 tinue the appropriation. This, once withdrawn, will precipitate a 

 reaction. 



6. Finally, that no permanent advantage can be secured until tariff" 

 .egislation gives real encouragement to the industry and recognizes the 

 fact that so-called "raw silk" is a manufactured article and should, if 

 other manufactured articles are protected, receive like protection. 



Society News. 



Brooklyn Entomological Society, September 1, 1885. — Twenty-six mem- 

 bers and visitors present. Mr. J. B. Smith in the chair. Mr. Leng the curator 

 reported large accessions to the cabinet, and progress in arranging the material. 

 The Society has nov,' an almost complete collection of the Cicindelidre and Car- 

 abidiTs of the vicinity of N. Y. Mr. Hulst, the librarian reported large accessions 

 through exchanges and that books had been re-arranged und newly catalogued. 



Lt. T. L. Casey was elected a life member of the Society. Mr. O. Dietz was 

 proposed for membership by Mr. Julich, and Mr. Adrian T. Birkhoff by Mr. 

 Weeks. 



The resignation of Mr. L. C. Schenk was presented and accepted. Mr. 

 Leng read a paper on "Ilijp<icq?hahis armaiits".* Mi*. Smith gave an account of 

 the meetings of the Entomological Club of the A. A. A. S., and called attention to 

 some interesting facts presented, and stated they would be published. A discus- 

 sion was had over the peculiar structural modification of Cosmosoma omphaie in 

 which Messrs. Hulst, Leng, Neumoegen, Graef, Weeks and Smith participated. 

 Mr. Hulst exhibited a sufi"used specimen of Danais archippus Mr. Doll says a 

 damp cyanide bottle will produce the same effect. Mr. Mohns has seen just 

 such specimens on the wing and does not believe in its being the effect of cya- 

 nide. A discussion was had in reference to the action of cyanide in changing 

 colors of insects. Mr. Waters exhibited specimens oi Sidurnia galbina and states 

 that these are the imagines belonging to the cocoon exhibited at the May meeting 

 of the Society but he cannot account for the presence of Anisota Ileilighrodtii, in 

 the box, as there seemed to be no other kinds of cocoons. 



*This will appear in full in a future number. 



