-16 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



and Natural History Society for the ensuing year is as follows : — 

 President :— A. E. Tonge, F.E.S. Vice-Presidents: — W. J. Kaye, 

 F.E.S., and B. H. Smith, B.A., F.E.S. Treasurer :—T. W. Hall, 

 F.E.S. Librarian: — A. W. Dods. Curator:— W. West (Greenwich). 

 Hon. Secretaries: — Stanley Edwards, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.E.S., and 

 Henry J. Turner, F.E.S. Council:— C. W. Colthrup ; F. W. 

 Cowham; A. E. Gibbs, F.L.S., F.E.S.; R. A. R. Priske, F.E.S. ; 

 A. Russell, F.E.S.; A. Sich, F.E.S.; and E. Step, F.L.S. 



From the Aiinual Ileport of theLancaslnre and ('/leahire KntomoUujical 

 Societj/iov 1910, which has only recently reached us, having been wrongly 

 directed, we learn that the Council of the Society desire at an early 

 date to publish their Local Lepidoptera List, the MS. of which has 

 been accumulating for some years past. An appeal is made to all 

 members and friends to subscribe for copies, and the Report itself has 

 been much curtailed so that at the end of the year the balance may be 

 available to swell the publication fund. We wish this project success, 

 for such publications are most useful and important. 



In the December number of ih.Q.Knto))wloijical iVcfcs is an account, with 

 portrait, of the late Rev. Dr. McCook, the author of that opm maijmun, 

 American Spiders and their Spinnim/ Work, a Natural History of the 

 Orbweaving Spiders of the United States with special regard to their 

 industry and habits, who passed away on the last day of October. " By a 

 peculiarly happy conjunction of capacities Dr. McCook was profoundly 

 equipped as an investigator and was also a skilful writer. His works, 

 therefore, are a happy combination of scientific accuracy and of the 

 charm which we usually look for only in romances." His later 

 writings have been of a more popular character, and we recall with 

 pleasure the perusal of that charmingly written work Ihe Tenants of 

 an Old l^arni, which we obtained from a second-hand bookstall for a 

 few pence, a short time ago. 



In the December number of the Canadian Knto)nolot/ist F. Alexander 

 McDermott, of Washington, contributes an article entitled " Some 

 further Observations on the Light-emission of American Lampyridae : 

 The Photogenic Function as a Mating-adaptation in the Photinini,'' 

 (American Glow-worms). Of the value and interest of the results of 

 this carefully organised series of observations the two following 

 extracts will give some idea. " The first observations were made upon 

 I'hotiniis jn/ralis. It was soon found to be easy to recognize the flash 

 of a female in answer to that of a male flying above her, but it was 

 not so readily determined that her answering flash had any eftect upon 

 the actions of the male. The flash of the female, while of the same 

 colour as that of the male is easily recognised after a little practice, 

 being slower— or rather of longer duration — and less intense. Persis- 

 tent watch, however, was rewarded by seeing the male drop, following 

 the answering flash of the female, flash again and drop still lower 

 after her second answer, alight a few inches away from her, crawl to- 

 wards her slowly, flashing at intervals — to each of which flashes she 

 responded — and finally locate and copulate with her. The complete 

 mating process was not followed until after several failures, where the 

 male after dropping would rise again, or would simply fail to locate 

 the female definitely, and fly away ; but since being observed once the 

 same entire process has been witnessed a number of times, and under 



