93 



pupils was stated to be the American silkworm moth, while the large, 

 green swallow tailed moth, collected by another pupil, was identified 

 as the Luna moth, one of our finest species of which several speci- 

 mens had been secured during the day. 



In reply to several questions about the currant worm, Mr. Putnam 

 stated that recently there had been brought to the Museum of the 

 Peabody Academy six different larvae that were more or less injuri- 

 ous to the currant. One was believed to be an imported species, and 

 was far more destructive than the old currant worm (Abraxas ribe- 

 aria) which is of the measuring worm family, while the imported 

 species is the larvae of a saw fly. The currant borer he mentioned as 

 being quite injurious by its destruction of the wood, but all were as 

 naught when compared with the new pest. Mr. Putnam also called ' 

 attention to the singular pruning of the top twigs of the bushes, and 

 stated that while this seemed to be the work of some minute cut 

 worm, he had not yet been able' to discover the insect. He thougnV 

 the pruning was not injurious to the bushes, but was in reality a 

 natural process of "nipping," and so long as the insect kept to its 

 present habits we need not feel alarmed at this addition to our stock 

 of currant bush insects. 



Mr. A. HYATT of the Institute opened his remarks by alluding to 

 the fact that he had already spoken before the larger part of his pres- 

 ent audience upon the Surface Geology of this section, and therefore 

 would speak to-day of a matter of more general interest, the dis- 

 covery of the Eozoon in Essex County. 



He then gave an account of its structure and the structure of the 

 other Foraminiferae now living at great depths, forming by their 

 abundance the floor of the present ocean bottom. 



The speaker also remarked how much Dr. T. Sterry Hunt and the 

 Canadian Geological Survey, had done for the elucidation of the 

 Geology of the county, and ended by summing up the results of the 

 discovery of the Eozoon. 



By request, Dr. A. S. PACKARD, Jr., has furnished the following ac- 

 count of the Currant Saw Fly : 



This saw fly, which is a net-veined insect, with clear wings, and 

 belongs to the same group of insects (Hymenoptera) that the bee, 

 wasp and ichneumon fly do, ha"s proved even more destructive to 

 currant bushes than the well known looper, geometer, or measuring 

 worm, which transforms into a .yellowish moth (Abraxas ribearta) 

 found flying about gooseberry and currant bushes in July. 



Imported into nurseries at Rochester, N. Y., during the year 1860, 

 it spread into Eastern Massachusetts about five years since, I am told 

 by Mr. F. G. Sanborn, and for two seasons past has been very destruc- 

 tive in gardens in Essex County. 



