186 



PSYCHE. 



(June— July 1SS4. 



PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



CAMBRIDGE EXTOMOLOGICAL CLUB. 



(^Continued from p. lyo.) 



Dr. G : Dimniock showed abnormally color- 

 ed specimens of Thyrciis ahhotii, ami made 

 some remarks upon the causes which ])ro- 

 duced their abnormal coloration. 



The annual report of the Secretary for the 

 year 1S83 reports the number of active mem- 

 bers, I Jan. 1S84, as 32, the number of asso- 

 ciate members, 50. Four associate members, 

 Messrs. Belfrage, Chambers, Glover, and 

 LcConte, who were included in the list of 

 mendjers published last 3'ear, arc dead. 

 During the year 1SS3 the Club held 9 meet- 

 ings; the average attendance was 5.2. 



The annual report of the Treasurer states 

 the deficit on volume i of Psyche, for which 

 Mr. B. P. Mann advanced the cash, $29.49. 

 On volume 2 the deficiency, made up by an 

 advance of cash by Dr. G. Dimmock, is $252. 

 66. The Club's account for the years iSSo- 

 1SS2, during which time Psyche (v. 3) was 

 published by Dr. Dimniock, shows a surplus 

 of $32.59, which the Treasmer recommends 

 to be added to the Permanent publication 

 fund. On the account of volume 4 of Psyche 

 there is a deficit, i Jan. 1SS4, of $29.90, which 

 is made up by advances by Mr. Mann. The 

 principal of the Permanent publication fund 

 is $224.39, deposited in the Cambridge Sav. 

 ings Bank and drawing an annual interest of 

 four per centum. 



The Librarian reports almost e.vactly one 

 thousand titles in the library', and an in- 

 creased list of exchanges for Psyche. 



S Feb. 1SS4.— The 99th meeting of the Club 

 was held at 19 Brattle St., Cambridge. S Feb. 

 1884. The meeting was called to order by 

 the President, Mr. S. H. Scudder, at 7.50 p.m. 

 Three members were present. 



The Secretary announced the withdrawal 

 from the Club of Mr. William Barnes, of 

 Cambridge, and the letters from Messrs C- C. 

 Beale, W. L. Devereaux, and J. G. Jack ac- 



cepting membership. The Secretary called 

 attention to the fund which it is proposed to 

 raise in honor of the late Dr. Hermann Miil- 

 ler, of Lippstadt, Germany. 



Dr. G. Dimmock called attention to some 

 curious habits of Forficula ainiciiUiria, a 

 specimeji of which he had kept in confine- 

 ment several months. These insects are 

 omnivorous, but apparently prefer insects as 

 food, eating their own species greedily. Al- 

 tho to all appearances blind, except to the 

 presence or absence of light, the specimen 

 above mentioned captured fleas (^Piilcx irri- 

 lans) with case in a circular enclosure about 

 5 cm. in diameter. No notice was taken of a 

 flea put in the enclosure until the flea actual- 

 ly touched the forficula, when the latter 

 would rush after the flea, palpitating rapidly 

 with the antennae, and thus keeping on his 

 track. If the flea escaped from beneath the 

 antennae of the forficula the latter would 

 find him again in a moment, and the amusing 

 chase would be renewed, to end in the sure 

 seizure of the flea in the mouth-parts of the 

 forficula. The forficula was a glutton and 

 would often eat a large number of fleas or 

 other insects in succession, at the end of his 

 repast his abdomen being much distended. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder exhibited a specimen 

 and drawings of an arachnid from the coal- 

 measures of Arkansas. Two years .ago Karsch 

 figured a similar form from the coal of Prus- 

 sian Silesia, under the generic name yl«/A/-«- 

 cnmartns, and Kusta has just described an- 

 other from carboniferous beds in Bohemia. 

 This adds another to the many instances in 

 which a new generic type of carboniferous 

 arthropods had no sooner been announced 

 as found on one continent than it was discov- 

 ered on the other. The Arkansas species 

 was obtained by Prof T. S. Harvey of 

 Fayetteville, and had not been in Mr. Scud- 

 dcr's hands a month before a second Ameri- 

 can species was found by Mr. R. D. Lacoe 

 in the well-known bed of Mazon creek, III. 



Dr. G. Dimmock showed an alcoholic 

 specimen of llie larva aiul pupa of I.iiciiniis 

 ilama. 



