48 THE FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST 
cember 17, and it is hoped that the Entomological Society can 
induce him to talk on the insects of Brazil. Dr. Rolfs returns 
to Brazil in March. 
Dr. W. S. Blatchley has returned to Florida for the winter and 
is now collecting in Royal Palm Park. 
Mr. G. F. Moznette will leave shortly for South America 
where he will study the fruit fly situation. 
Among our members who will attend the meetings of the 
A.A.A.S. in Washington the last of December are A. H. Beyer, 
Dr. O. F. Burger, J. C. Goodwin, T. H. Hubbell, Geo. B. Merrill, 
Dr. J. H. Montgomery, Dr. Wilmon Newell, F. M. O’Byrne, Prof. 
J. Speed Rogers, and Dr. P. H. Rolfs. 
MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY 
October 29, 1924. The first meeting of the season of the 
Florida Entomological Society was held in Science Hall, October 
29, at 4 P.M., with President Merrill in the chair, and the fol- 
lowing members present: Bates, Berger, Beyer, Floyd, Gray, 
Hubbell; Merrill, Rogers, Walker, Watson. Visitors, Bratley, 
Nolen, Speere. 
The paper of the evening by J. R. Watson, followed. His 
subject was “Insects of the Desert Region of New Mexico.” 
The speaker first discussed the climatic and moisture conditions 
of the desert, and their relation to the insect life of the desert re- 
gion. Under climate he mentioned the sudden and violent wind 
storms and their effect on the insects. To avoid death in the des- 
ert they dig into the soil, especially in the middle of the day. 
Other principal habitats are under the leaves of the yucca or 
Spanish Bayonet plant. During the wind storms the tenebrionid 
beetles hug firmly to the base of the plants until the storm 
ceases. In connection with the wind storms the speaker also 
made a brief mention of the birds such as the prairie horned 
lark and the road runner. The former “roosts” on the ground 
or under the banks of arroyas. 
It is characteristic of the animals of the desert not to be at 
all particular what they eat, and the darkling beetles even live 
on Russian thistle seedlings, and weed seeds. The darkling 
beetles in this section have no wings. On account of the severe 
winds they would be disadvantageous. Blister beetles are com- 
mon and very large in size, and some also have inflated immov- 
able elatra. Some Cerambicids resemble darkling beetles in 
