83 



Mr. Garman had fouud tliat the eggs were laid just above the sheath, 

 or sometimes pushed beneath it. 



Mr. Webster stated that the eggs of Hessian Fly had, the past 

 spring, throughout the southern and central parts of Indiana, been 

 deposited near the roots, the flaxseeds being found in that portion of 

 the plant, while in the northern part of the State the case had evi- 

 dently been diflerent, as the flaxseeds were there almost invariably 

 located several inches up the stem, near the second joint. 



A i)aper on the subject of American silk spinners by Mr. Edward L. 

 Graef was read by the Secretary, of which the following is an abstract. 



Refers to the periodical, phenomenal increase of some species of in- 

 sects and their sudden disappearance. Speaks of the adaptability of 

 the cocoons of L. cecropia Linn, for the manufacture of silk, and of the 

 firm belief of the writer in the possibility of the creation of an American 

 industry in the rearing of the, :' larv* for manufacturing purposes. So- 

 licits phms for the profitable rearing of the larvae of this, or other 

 American silk spinners, also for preparing their cocoons for this pur- 

 pose. Offers a prize ($50.00) for this purpose. 



Thursday, August 21. 



Club opened its morning session at 8.00 a. m. by an interesting 

 paper by Dr. C. M. Weed, the subject of which was " The Food Plants 

 of the clover Stem Borer" Languria mozardi. Fifteen species of the 

 plants were reported on which the larva is known to feed. 



This paper was discussed by Professors Cook, Alwood, Osborn and 

 others. 



Professor Alwood announced his intention of studying tobacco in- 

 sects, and mentioned having observed a stem borer. Dr. Weed had 

 heard of a tobacco root-louse in southern Ohio. 



Professor Osborn followed with a paper on a peculiar coleopterous 

 larva infesting the stems of plants.* 



Professor Garraan spoke of the mouth parts of some of the Thysa- 

 noptera, and stated that some recent studies of mouth parts, had fully 

 coincided with previous studiest of his in the same direction. In all 

 material examined he had found the mouth parts unsymmetrical. 



Dr. Weed presented a short paper upon the oviposition of Listronotus 

 latiusculus. The eggs are laid in bunches of five to ten on the leaf 

 stalks of SagUtaria variabilis^ and are covered with bits of epidermis 

 chewed up by the adult beetle. 



This was discussed by Messrs. Garman, Fletcher and Webster. 



Mr. Charles Robertson made some remarks upon the habits of ^m^/ior 

 bombiliformis, which he stated was apparently a special visitor of Hibis- 

 cus. The nests were constructed by burrowing in the ground, and, in 

 order to facilitate the excavation, water was frequently carried to the 



* To be published in Insect Life. 



t Mouth parts of the Thysanoptera, by H. Garman. Bull. Essex Institute, Vol. 

 XXII, No8. 1-3, 1890. 



