578 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [October, 



He then commenced business as a professional entomologist, and opened 

 establishments in Piccadilly and in the Strand. In 1881 he formed the In- 

 sect House in the Zoological Gardens. 



During the past ten or eleven years he resided at Eastbourne, where he 

 carried on the breeding of butterflies of the most diverse specimens ; they 

 were in all stages of development — the larva, or caterpillar, the chrysalis 

 and the butterfly. 



The Larva of Thecla Melinus Hubn. — On April 17, 1900, Prof. 

 E. O. Wooton brought me a lycaenid larva found living on the flowers of 

 a Echinocactus intertexttis Engelm., in the Mesilla Valley, N. M. The 

 larva burrows into and eats the flowers, which are white, not purplish as 

 described in the books. The imago was bred May 8th, and proves to be 

 Thecla tnelinus Hubn. I have formerly observed this butterfly to be 

 prayed upon by the bug Phyntata fasciata. 



Zarz.'a.— Slug like ; 14 mm. long, 6 broad ; entirely apple green, a very 

 faint darker dorsal stripe enclosing an interrujoted light stripe. Whole 

 surface thickly covered with short brownish bristles. Under side, includ- 

 ing legs, light green. Head small, shining dull white ; eyes on black 

 patches ; mandibles reddish brown. When the larva is at rest the head 

 is not visible from above. The other larva was whitish, with faint pinkish 

 markings ; two dorsal lines ; oblique stripes, two on each side of each 

 segment ; and the lateral keel, which is whitish, edged with pale pinkish. 

 The excrement, owing to the nature of the food, is light lemon yellow. — 

 T. D. A. CocKERELL, N. M. Agr. Exp. Station. 



Doings of Societies. 



At the June meeting of the Feldnian Collecting Social, held 

 at the residence of Mr. H. W. Wen/.el, 1523 S. 13th .street, 

 twelve niembens were pre.sent. 



Mr. C. W. Johnson exhibited a larva found in a .spring at 

 Riverton, N. J., which he had tried unsuccessfully to keep 

 alive. It seems to be the early .stage of a large Tipulid, agree- 

 ing well with the description by Hart of Tipulid larvae from 

 the Illinois River. From its great size it may be Tipiila abdo- 

 minalis. 



Mr. P. Laurent remarked on the lack of knowledge regard- 

 ing the early stages of many of the Hesperidio, notwith.standing 

 that these larvic are perhaps the easiest cared for of any Lepi- 

 doptera. He l>elieved almost all .sj)ecies of this family would 

 live on any of the grasses. 



Mr. H, W. Wen/.el described collecting in an old barn .situated 

 in the Philadelphia " Neck." About 30 .species of Coleoptera 



