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Society News. 
At the June (10th, ) meeting of the American Entomological Society, Dr. Horn 
stated that a professional sister had brought him some small beetles which a patient 
of hers declares issue from little pustules on her body, each in a little lump of pus. 
The beetles are Lathriditds and Dr. Horn declared it an utter impossibility not only 
that they should have developed in the closed pustules but that the beetle could | 
sustain life in them. It is a case of voluntary or involuntary deception of the physi- 
cian by the patient, such as one must constantly guard against. Prof. J. B. Smith 
gave some examples of similar instances of voluntary or involuntary deception prom- 
inent among which are the many cases of larvee of A77stalis tenax said to have been 
passed by patients, and one case where a large living Cerambycid larva was said to 
have been vomited. All these cases, when sifted, leave, as in the spider bite cases, a 
considerable element of doubt. A discussion was started on the unreliability of lay 
testimony, in which Drs. Mc. Cook, Skinner and Castle took part, in which were re- 
lated cases ot spider bites sifted, and a case where a lizard, said to have been living 
for a long time in the body of a patient, was dissected, and in which were found 
abundant undigested remains of insects of several orders. 
Dr. Skinner gave the results of some observations made by Mr. Aaron and him- 
self on the oviposition of Axgyzn7s and he finds that all observed species drop their 
eggs while hovering over the food plant, and do not oviposit on leaves. 
Prof, Smith called attention to the fact that Crzoceris asparagi stridulates, and 
describes the stridulating organ. The fact is well known in Europe, but has not 
been noted before in this country. 
——“~> -+-<>___—_—_—_- 
A Curious Deformity in Cychrus. 
A male specimen of Cychrus nitidicollis Chev., var. 
brevoortt Lec., collected by Morrison in North Carolina, 
presents a curious deformity. As shown in the figure, the 
thorax and base of the elytra are connected by an oval, 
slightly flattened tubercle rigidly uniting the two, and thus 
» preventing the normal movements of the thorax. 
uh G. W. J. ANGELL. 
——> + > ______—_- 
Rhinebeck, N. ¥., June 10, 1889. 
- Dear Sir :—I noticed in the May number of ‘‘Ent. Amer.” a 
method of relaxing Lepidoptera by means of alcohol, which I have tried 
during the past week. I used a bowl with alcohol in the bottom, a wire 
gauze to hold the specimens, and covered with a plate. It worked well, 
much better than water, and I found that specimens relaxed better, 
dried quicker, and were not moulded. I wish to thank you for the 
suggestion. Harrison G, Dyar. 
