PSYCHE. 
47 
ENTOMOLOGICAL ITEMS. 
M. Datmas — so Les Mondes informs us —has 
succeeded in destroying the phylloxera by wrap- 
ping thin copper wire round the stems of the vine, 
and passing the current from a powerful voltaic 
battery through it. Both the mature insects and 
their eggs are said to be completely disorganized 
by the electricity.—-Athenaeum, 27 Dec. 1879, p. 853. 
THE INFLUENCE of quinine upon silkworms has 
been satisfactorily proved by C. LeDoux. Broods 
of caterpillars suffering from flacquerie were 
speedily restored by sprinkling their food with 
quinine sulphate. The same treatment proved 
successful in cases of “pebrine” with open 
wounds.—Mo. journ. sci., Noy. 1879, s. 3, v. 1, p. 765° 
A REVISION of the Lampyridae will shortly 
be published by Mr. Henry S. Gorham of Ship- 
ley, Horsham, England. Mr. Gorham would be 
glad to see specimens of this group from Amer- 
ica, and especially from Central America below 
the United States to the Isthmus of Darien. He 
also desires to obtain specimens of the genera 
Pleotomus LeC., Phausis LeC., Microphotus LeC., 
Phengodes Hof., and Pierotus LeC. 
ABRASION OIL is, according to the “ Gist. Land 
wirth. Wochenblatt,” obtained in China from the 
seeds of Elaeococca cordata, and is said to be an 
excellent protective against noxious insects. The 
tree, which belongs to the family of the Luphor- 
biaceae, prospers in the south of France, where 
its culture is recommended, in the hope of the oil 
proving a specific for the Phylloxera and the Oid- 
tum. — Mo. journ. sci., Noy. 1879, s. 3, v. 1, p. 756. 
Cases OF poisoning by caterpillars have been 
observed both in cows and ducks. The former 
experienced gastric symptoms, diarrhoea, loss of 
appetite, &c., but were all restored by means of 
mucilaginous drinks and a diet of boiled potatoes 
and bran. Ninety ducks were turned into a cab- 
bage-field infested with the caterpillars of the 
common white (Pieris brassicae). In one after- 
noon the field was almost clear, but two ducks 
died after an hour. The next morning twenty 
were found dead, and altogether fifty-three per- 
ished. The flesh of the dead, on examination, 
was found to resemble that of cattle which die 
of gangrene, indicating true poisoning. — Mo. 
journ. sci., Novy. 1879, s. 3, v. 1, p. 765. 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
THE REGULAR meetings of the Cambridge En- 
tomological Club will be held at 19 Follen St., 
at 7.45 p. m., on the days following : — 
9 Jan. 1880. 9 April 1880. 
15 Feb. ,, 14 May 
12 Mar. ,, 11 June ,, 
B: Pickman Mann, Secretary. 
” 
THE REGULAR meetings of the Entomological 
Section of the Boston Society of Natural History 
will be held at N. W. corner of Berkeley and 
Boylston Sts., Boston, Mass., at 7.45 p.m., on the 
days following : — 
28 Jan. 1880. 26 Apr. 1880. 
25 Feb. ,, 26 May ,, 
24 Mar. ,, 
B: Prickman Mann, Secretary. 
THE ANNUAL meetings of the Entomological 
Section of the American Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science will begin at 2 p. m., on 
Tuesday, 24 Aug. 1880, at a place yet to be de- 
termined, in Boston, Mass. Members who intend 
to present communications that may provoke 
discussion are requested to allow the Secretary 
to announce their subjects, in order that other 
members may come ready to enter into a thor- 
ough discussion. 
B: Pickman Mann, Secretary, 
Cambridge, Mass. 
THE REGULAR meetings of the Entomological 
Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of 
Philadelphia, Pa., will be held at S. W. corner of 
19th and Race Sts., on the days following : — 
9 Jan. 1880. 9 Apr. 1880. 
13 Feb. ,, 14 May ,, 
12 Mar. ,, 11 June ,, 
James H. Ripine6s, 
Recorder. 
THE SEMI-ANNUAL meetings of the American 
Entomological Society will be held at 8. W. cor- 
ner of 19th and Race Sts., Philadelphia, Pa., on 
the days following : — 
8 Dec. 1879. 14 June 1880. 
James H. Ripines, 
Recording Secretary. 
