— 104 — 



We learn from "The Entomologist", that our American butterfly 

 Danais archippus after taking possession within a fesv years of the Sand- 

 wich Islands and Australia, and while making rapid conquest of the Ma- 

 layan Archipelago, has as well invaded England, and has been taken so 

 often that ho seems likely to conquer and stay. It is rather difficult for 

 the great majority of Lepidopterists to recognise him under the name of 

 Anosia pkxippiis', but that is the name that the British 'INIuseum gives 

 to what the rest of the Lepidopterological world calls Danais archippus. 

 We suppose after the English fashion,(if it be not done already), he 

 will soon be dubbed with a "common name" as well, and his identity 

 still further disguised. But none the less, he is an acquisition to the 

 English fauna, new, larger than any of the rest of their butterflies, bril- 

 liant in color, showy in appearance, easily caught, easily reared, novel 

 and beautiful in clirvsalis and larva, and withal American. G. D. 11. 



Society News. 



Entomological Society of Washington. Meeting July 8, 1886. — The Cor- 

 responding Secretary laid before the society a letter from Miss A. Haller an- 

 nouncing the death of Dr. G. Haller, the well-known Acarinologist; also a com- 

 mvinication from Dr. Horn announcing the fact that Ilnrpalus caliginosus strid- 

 ulates. The noise is produced by the edges of the last two abdominal segments 

 being rubbed against an alutaceous space on the inner edge of each elytron. 



Mr. Schwarz read from a letter of Mr. Hubbard a note on a specimen of 

 Bradydneius ferrufjineus which suddenly died while betng held in the hand. 

 He also exhibited a male of IJi/drophihis ovatits remarkable from the form of the 

 maxillary palpi, the two last joints being notably flattened. 



Mr. Smith read a note on Qundrina diazoma placed bj' Mr. Grote in the He- 

 mileucina but which he finds belongs to the Cossidae. He gave a detailed des- 

 cription of the venation and discussed its affinities at some length. 



Mr. Schwarz read a short note on a small swarm of Cicadas observed by him 

 at Fortress Monroe, Va., on June 17, 1886. No specimens or pni-a shells could be 

 procured and it was impossible, therefore, to decide whether or not these Cica- 

 das belonged to the periodical species. 



Mr. Johnson spoke on a Cecidomyidous gall-muker on twigs of Bittiielid 

 lanuginosa as observed by him in the vicinity of Shrevejiort, La. The young trees 

 suffer severely from the attacks of this insect. 



Mr. Howard spoke on the food-habits of the common House Wren during 

 the breeding season. He observed the rearing of two successive broods of j-oung, 

 the old birds feeding the young exclusively on insects. The principal food c( n- 

 sisting of caterpillars, Macrodactjdus subspinosus and another small black 

 beetle, apparently a Carabid. 



Mr. Schwarz remarked on the habits of two si)ecies of Tabanus, T. mej:icamis 

 and T. psninmophilus, the former flying only shortly after sunrise and shortly 

 before stinsst. The second being a strictly maritime species and probably never 

 attacking warm -blooded animals. 



