212 



Apkil 6, 1877. 



Mr. Grote in the chair. Thirty jDersons present. 



W. L. Carpenter, XJ. S. Army, was elected a Corresponding 

 Member. 



Vice-President Hayes read a paper entitled: " On the Origin of 

 Life," for which the thanks of the Society were voted. 



May 4, 1877. 



Henry A. Richmond in the chair. Fonrteen members present. 



L. G. Thurston of Nashville, Tenn., was elected a Corresponding 

 Member. 



Mr. Grote exhibited specimens and remarked that there were two 

 forms, apparently specifically distinct, to which the terms Agrotis 

 campestris Grote, and Agrotis decolor Morrison, should be respect- 

 ively applied. He had become aware of this on sending what he 

 supposed was an undescribed species to Mr. Morrison under the 

 number " 25," which was returned to him with the determination 

 that it was ^'a typical specimen of decolor." Mr. Morrison's orig- 

 inal description Avas too brief for use, and it is not probable, from 

 his identification of cam^Jestris with decolor, which Mr. Grote had 

 adopted, that he had distinguished the two forms. On comparison 

 decolor may be distinguished from campestris by the brighter brown 

 thorax, basal and subterminal fields of the primaries; the median 

 space is black; the stigmata smaller, notably the orbicular, and more 

 completely and distinctly outlined; the orbicular more oblique in 

 position ; the lines were vividly black ; the ovipositor protruded. 



