lOlGl BysJop—The Host of Zelia verkhmia 25 



insect said: "The habits of this fly have hitherto been unknown 

 though it is very common in the woods, in fact, one can hardly go 

 into the forest anywhere in this part of the country (about Wash- 

 ington, D. C), particularly during the months of July and August, 

 without finding this fly sitting around on tree trunks. The females 

 are qiu'te different in appearance from the males." I thereiore 

 think it advisable that what little data we have relative to the 

 habits of this Dexiid be published. 



On April 6, 1915, two larvse of Meracantha were collected under 

 the club moss, Polytrichium ohiwnsis. A parasite emerged from 

 one of these larvoe and pupated on May 10 and the adult fly emerged 

 on June 7. 



The other larva moulted on May 15 and appeared to be in good 

 health. However, on June 22 a parasite emerged from this lava 

 and pupated. On July 9 an adult Zelia vertebrata emerged. 

 These parasitic larvse had spent at least six weeks within their 

 hosts, and the puparium stage covered from seventeen to twenty- 

 seven days. 



DR. FREDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL. 



Dr. Frederick W. Russell, a former member of the Cambridge 

 Entomological Club, died at the residence of his son-in-law. Dr. 

 Frank J. Hall, DaUas, Texas, November 20, 1915, aged seventy- 

 one. 



He graduated from Harvard in 1869 and from the Medical 

 Department of the New York University in 1871. A resident of 

 Winchendon, Mass., for many years, he frequently attended the 

 meetings of the club even from that distance. As a member of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History he took a great interest 

 in the work of building up the New England collection of insects 

 and contributed many rare and interesting moths — the group in 

 which he was especially interested. He was a genial friend and 

 companion and the club wishes to express its sorrow in the loss 

 of a friend and fellow- worker. 



