THE SEASON 1912. 213 



of some blood-suckin» Insects," and " The Geographical Variation of 

 African Bombylidae,'' Prof. Calvert on " Progress of Knowledge of the 

 Odonata fit)m 1895 to 1912," and Mr. Bagnall on "The Order 

 Thysanoptera," " The British Fiotiira," and " A synopsis of the 

 Family Aeolothripidae,'" together with exhibitions of new British 

 TIn/sanura, Cnllemhola, Thysanoptera, MallopluKja, and Miiriapoda, and 

 of Hawaiian Thysanoptera. These were the last Sectional Meetings, 

 and in the afternoon Prof. Poulton presided, with Prof. Kolbe as Vice- 

 President, over the last General Meeting, at which two papers were 

 read ; the first was given, in English, by Dr. Seitz, on " The Sight of 

 Butterflies," and was an excellent example of the humour with which 

 a scientific investigation may be treated, enhancing, and not decreasing, 

 its value, the other was by Prof. Kellogg on "Distribution and Species- 

 forming among Ectoparasites." After this. General Business was 

 taken in hand. Invitations for the Congress of 1915 had been received 

 from America, from the American Association of Economic "Entomo- 

 logists, and from the Entomological Society of America, but it was 

 thought best to have one more meeting in Europe before crossing the 

 Atlantic, and the invitation of Vienna was accepted. Prof. Handlirsch 

 being elected President. Dr. Jordan, Secretary of the Executive Com- 

 mittee presented his Report, which embodied the greater part of the 

 Entomological Society's Resolution in a series of short Resolutions, 

 which were all adopted, and the President then closed a most success- 

 ful Congress with an Address of thanks and farewell. 



It is impossible to give in a magazine article more than the 

 merest outline of the proceedings of such a Congress as this, and the 

 discussions on the papers — often the most important and useful part — 

 have not even been touched upon. Nor, in this paper, has any attempt 

 been made to enlarge upon the Social and lighter side of the assembly ; 

 yet this is by no means without its value, both internationally and 

 individually. As a very well-known German entomologist observed to 

 the writer ; " You have certainly shown us how friendly Entomologists 

 can be together, now ire can hardly get two together without their 

 quarrelling." This was no doubt a facon de purler, but it may be taken 

 as showing one useful object-lesson that the Congress provided. Even 

 in the discussions on the thorny subject of Nomenclature there were no 

 " wigs on the green," and certainly the more quietly and amicably 

 thorny questions are discussed the more liklihood there is of an (com- 

 paratively) early settlement. In the present case the International 

 Committee on this subject has actually been nominated, and is composed 

 as follows: — Nathan Banks (U.S.A.), C. J. Gahan (Gt. Britain), F. 

 Ris (Switzerland), K. Kertesz (Hungary), S. Schenkling (Germany), 

 Y. Sjostedt (Sweden), H. Schouteden (Belgium) and Dr. Karl Jordan as 

 Honorary Secretary. 



The Season 1912. 



By T. H. L. GROSVENOE. 

 In writing a few notes on the current season, from an entomologi- 

 cal point of view, one cannot help thinking, that in many respects, it 

 is as remarkable, or perhaps more remarkable, than that annus 

 mirabilis (meteorologically) 1911. In the latter year the unusual 

 abundance of Rumicia phlaeas was, to my mind, the outstanding 



