89 



Eev. C. J. S. Bethune, Mr. William Saunders, Dr. P. R. Hoy, Mr. C. 

 M. Weed, Mr. L. O. Howard, Mr. J. Alston Moffat, Mr. H. H. Lyman^ 

 Kev. W. A. Bunuau, Prof. C. W. Hargitt, Mr. E. P. Thompson. 



The address of the president, Mr. James Fletcher, dealt principally 

 with the injurious insects of the year, and was of extreme interest. It 

 was also warmly discussed. Other papers were read by Professors 

 Cook and Smith and by Messrs. Weed, Lyman, Fletcher, and Howard. 

 Papers were also read which had been received from Prof. C. H. Fern- 

 akl, Mr. W. H. Edwards, and Dr. F. W. Goding. 



The officers elected for the next meeting are : Prof. A. J. Cook, pres- 

 ident; Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, vice-president; Prof. F. M. Webster, 

 secretary. 



DYNASTES TITYUS IN INDIANA. 



Although a southern species, this insect is known to occur in the 

 southern jjortions of some of the Northern States. Say recorded its 

 occurrence, in an old cherry tree, near Philadelphia, lat. 39° 57' N., 

 and this is looked upon as its probable northern limit, from whence it 

 can be traced westward through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, but 

 only in localities considerably further southward. 



In December, 1886, Prof. A. H. Graham, superintendent of the public 

 schools of Columbus, Ind., lat. ^^9° 13' N., showed me a specimen which 

 had been found on the top of one of the school buildings, by workmen 

 engaged in repairing the roof. Pennsylvania excepted, this seems to 

 be the northernmost locality where the species has been found. Fruit- 

 growers accuse the larvje of destroying the roots of the grape. — F. M. 

 Webster. 



the field cricket destroying strawberries. 



Although this insect has not, so far as I am aware, been recorded as 

 destructive to the fruit of the Strawberry, nevertheless it has long been 

 accused of such depredations by strawberry growers. Several years 

 ago a gentleman of Mississippi, whose name I have mislaid, complained 

 of serious injury to his berries by these insects, stating that they first 

 ate the seeds and then the pulp. More recently similar accusations 

 have come from the fruitgrowers of southern Indiana ; but in none of 

 these cases have the crickets been actually observed feeding on the 

 berry. 



While this might indicate that other insects were, perhaps, equally 

 implicated, it is also true that this cricket is a shy fellow, and in order 

 to observe him in the act of feeding one must use the utmost caution. 

 Only once have I been able to detect them in the act of destroying the 

 fruit as accused. This was on June 3, 1886, when I captured an indi- 

 ! vidual which had made such progress in devouring a ripening berry as 

 i to leave no doubt regarding the capabilities of his race in that direction. 

 — F. M. Webster. 



