120 — 



L. A. Best, of 125 Sixth Avenue, N. Y., Mr. Henry E. Hallowell, of No. 789 

 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, and Mr. Frank H. Johnson, of No. 168 Hancock 

 Street, Brooklyn, were elected members of the Department. 



Prof. Hooper reported informally that the natural history collections of 

 the late John Calverley had been secured for the Institute through the kind- 

 ness of his son, Mr. William Calverley, and that the entomological portion 

 of the collection would be placed in charge of this Department — such portion 

 being complete as to nomenclature and North American species in respect to 

 Lepidoptera and Coleoptera to the year 1870, when Mr. Calverley ceased to 

 collect. The Secretary was thereupon directed to express the thanks of the 

 Department to Mr. William Calverley therefor. 



Prof John B. Smith introduced scientific discussion by an explanation of 

 the structure of the anal tuft of Eiichatcs egle, which was arranged upon 

 pleats or folds, following this by remarks on some peculiar and interesting- 

 structures of insects assisted by lantern views. 



The first series of views represented variation in the head and mouth 

 parts and ovipositors of several species of Diptera, including Hcematohia 

 serrata (imported horn fly, injurious to cattle), Stomoxys calcitrans, house 

 fly, and Eristalis tenax or drone fly. 



The second series represented modifications of the ovipositor as a means 

 of defense as shown in the stings of Polistes and Botnbiis, or as a tool for 

 cutting vegetable tissues as shown in the saw-like instruments of the Ten- 

 thredinidce. 



The third series indicated the resources of larvae of limited silk spinnuig 

 capacity, as those of Halesidota caryce in the construction of their cocoons, 

 by using the hairs with which their bodies were clothed, and which cohered 

 by reason of numerous hooks with which each hair was furnished. A modi- 

 fication of these hairs was shown in the spines of the saddle-back caterpillar, 

 Emprctia sthnulea, which were hollow and tapered to a point, which readily 

 broke off in any substance pierced by them, the fluid secreted at the base of 

 the spine entering the wounds made by them and causing the smarting sen- 

 sation experienced. 



The next series showed portions of the external structure of several 

 species of Coleoptera, including the leg of a Dytiscus (the hairs thickly stud- 

 ding the joints resolving themselves under the microscope to filamentary 

 bodies, crowned with flat, circular disks, or suckers, calculated to unite the 

 insect firmly to any desired object) and the star-like punctures of the elytron 

 of Ciipes capitatus. 



The last series represented parasites of the surf-duck, pigeon and cow. 



Meeting May 6, 1890. — Twenty persons present, Rev. Geo. D. Hulst 

 presiding. Mr. Lendal V. Hallock, Creedmoor, N. Y., and Dr. Samuel 

 Russell and Mr. George A. Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., were elected members 

 of the Department. The election of officers was taken up and the officers 

 of last year were re-elected save the President and editor, election of which 

 went over until the June meeting. Mr. Weeks read extracts from a pamphlet 

 issued by a dry-goods house in Brooklyn, giving methods of destroying 

 "The Moth, moth miller and moth-fly" as an evidence of the necessity for 

 the dissemination of entomological knowledge. 



A. C. Weeks, 



Recording Secretary. 



