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 SOCIETY NE\A^S. 



Meeting Dec. 3, 1889, at Brooklyn Institute, President Casey in the chair 

 — 23 persons present. The minutes of the November meeting were approved. 

 The report of the librarian showed the donation to the library by Mr. A. W. 

 P. Cramer of twenty-five books and pamphlets. Miss Elizabeth A. Wilckins, 

 of No. 261 Henry Street, Brooklyn, associate member of the Institute, was 

 elected a member of the Department. 



Rev. J. L. Zabriskie read a paper entitled, " Note on some Case-bearing 

 Lepidoptera feeding upon the seeds of Juncus," illustrated by enlarged dia- 

 grams showing the plants bearing seeds, with cross sections of the latter; 

 also of the larvae and protecting cases. Larva; inhabiting three forms of 

 cases had been taken. The larvae had been found clinging to the seeds of 

 Juncus Greenii Oakes «& Tuckerman, and Juncus tenuis Willd. No imago 

 had been obtained, but an identification of the species found upon the first- 

 named plant by Mr. Hulst, showed it to be Coleophora cispiticeUa W'alsingham. 



Mr. Smith gave a description of the mouth parts of Stomoxys calcitrans 

 and Hcnnatobia scrrata, a recently imported species. An examination of 

 the mouth parts in each species revealed no variation in either case thus 

 proving them to be of the highest value as a means of classification and 

 identification. He also stated that he had recently noticed in handling Em- 

 pretia stimillea that the spines on parasitized larvae had lost their urticating 

 properties. Discussion on the nature of the urticating properties of several 

 Lepidopterous larvae was participated in by Messrs. Smith, Hulst and Weeks. 

 No one had noted the fact stated by Mr. Smith, but it was general knowledge 

 that the hairs of certain Arctiidcs retained their irritating properties even 

 after removal from the caterpillar. A. C. Weeks, 



Recording Secretary. 



In "Humboldt" for December, 1889, is an interesting- state- 

 ment of the amounts expended by the Prussian State Forestry 

 Commission to control the ravages of forest insects only. In 1884- 

 85 were spent 200,550 Marks; in 1885-86 were spent 171,404 Marks; 

 in 1886-87 were spent 191,645 Marks. Of these sums the control 

 of Hylobiiis abictis alone took from 107,200 to 109,300 marks. The 

 sums are suggestive, and yet all of it was absolutely necessary for 

 the prevention of serious damage. Even with these sums, and the 

 trained officials to apply it the success in lessening the ravages was 

 not satisfactory. It was not possible to do more than keep the pests 

 in check. The destruction of the Cockchafer in the larval state is 

 also still in the experimental stage, and the results are not satis- 

 factory. The complaints in other parts of the empire of damage by 

 white grubs are even greater than they are in Prussia, and some 

 practical remedy would b/e a boon of inestimable value. 



