Society News. 



Brooklyn Entomological- Society. January 5, 1885. Twenty persons 

 present, the president in the chair. The officers of the preceding year read their 

 reports, which were accepted, and the following officers were ele< ti 'I for the en- 

 Buing year. President: Rer. Geo. D. Hulst; Vice-Pres. : Chas. W. Leng; Corr. 



Secy.: John B. Smith; Rec. Secy.: A. C. Weeks; Treasurer: C. H. Roberts; 

 Curator: (has. '\Y. Leng; Librarian: Geo. D. Hulst. Members of the Executive 

 Committee: Geo. J>. Ilnlst, B. Neumoegen, J. B. Smith, E. L. Graef, C. W. Leng. 

 Geo. Gade. Publication Committee: J. B. Smith, Hy. Edwards, Geo. D. Hulst, 

 G W. J. Angell, E. L Graef. Messrs. J. Hess, C. Pfeil, and W. Schenck were 

 dropped from the rolls of the Society for non-payment of clues. The proposition 

 of the "Prairie Farmer" for an exchange of publications was accepted. 



Mr. Smith explained briefly how, where, wdien and wdiat to silt, and describ- 

 ed the outfit required. Messrs. Graef, Hulst, Mayer, Cramer and Pearsall dis- 

 cussed the question of how Limacodes are best brought to maturity. Mr. Pear- 

 sall reports good success in forcing them to maturity by keeping in a warm 

 moist temperature— a number of species are daily emerging from pupa foimed 

 the past fall. Informal discussion closed the meeting. 



Entomological Society of Washington, Jan. 6, 1886. Prof. H. Osborn 

 was elected a member of the Society. The election of officers for 1886 took 

 place. Prof. C. V. Riley was elected president, but declined to serve as he had 

 already served two terms. A second ballot resulted as follows: President: L. O. 

 Howard; 1st Vice-Pres.: Dr. J. G. Morris; 2nd Vice-Pres.: Dr. Geo. Marx; Rec. 

 Secy.: E. A. Schwarz; Corr. Secy.: J. B. Smith; Treasurer: B. P. Mann. Ex- 

 ecutive Committee: Dr. C. V. Riley, 0. Lugger and Theo. Pergande. 



Prof. Osborn read a paper on certain Hemiptera which were unusually 

 abundant in Iowa in the fall of 1885 giving with each species the food-plant or 

 place of occurrence. Among the species mentioned are the, following: Caryno- 

 eoris distinetus, Alydus eurinus, Neides spinosus, Anthocoris insidiosus, Phylus 

 angulatus, Blissus teucopterus, Calocoris rapidus, Lyaus lineolaris, Phymata erosa, 

 Acholkt midtispinosa, Cicada tibicen, Ceresa bvbalus, Publilia concava, Brochymena 

 arborea and />'. annulata. 



Mr. Lugger read a paper on the life-habits of Mesites subcylindricus and 

 Platypus flavicornis, as observed by him on the beach of the Chesapeake Bay. 

 Eastern Shore of Maryland. The former species was found to live in great num- 

 bers in old roots of Pinus ausiralis which are covered twice each day by the high 

 tide. The beetles infest the roots in large numbers and honeycomb them with 

 large and irregular burrows. Holes of exit for the perfect beetles are very few. 

 The Platypus was observed abundantly flying one morning just before sunrise 

 and not at any other time of the day, nor would the beetles be found on or in 

 the Yellow Pines, the only trees growing in that locality. 



Dr. Riley exhibited drawings of larva and pupa of Exorista vitlata and Epi- 

 pocus pundatus and explained the differences between the corresponding adole 

 scent stages in these two insects. 



A letter from Mr. C. L. Johnson was read, stating that he had observed a 

 Lepidopterous larva feeding on a species of Aphid, and had bred the insect to 

 maturity. Mr. Lugger stated that the larva was that of Fertesicq tarquinivs, and he 

 had also made the same observation several years in succession: though he had 

 never actually seen them feeding on the Aphids. they were always found among 

 them. 



