1 897-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 23 1 



ton, N. J., May 10 and 16. Ceria abbreviata, Xanthogramma 

 aqualis, Spihmyia haniifera (caught by Chas. T. Greene) and 

 sp. were collected for the first time in this section. Sphecomyia 

 vittata, Xylota bicohr, Somalus decor us, Criorhina analis and C. 

 tii7ibraiilis before collected by the speaker at Edge Hill, Mont- 

 gomery County, Pa., were also taken, the latter species being 

 quite common. A specimen of Vespa Carolina was also captured 

 in the flowers. Mr. Hornig reported the capture of Cicindela 

 ionsentanea from Atco, N. J. ; also Aniblyscirtes vialis from Clem- 

 enton, N. J., on May 15. Mr. Frank R. Mason was elected an 

 Associate of the Section. Dr. Henry Skinner, 



Recorder. 



Philadelphia, Oct. 12, 1897. — A stated meeting of the Feld- 

 man Collecting Social was held at the residence of Mr. H. W. 

 Wenzel, 1509 S. 13th Street. The following correction was made 

 in relation to a previous communication : 



" Mr. Wenzel remarked that nearly all of the species belong- 

 ing to the group of DysonycJia politula were more or less red 

 when alive, but would fade into yellow in the course of time." 



A written acknowledgement of the fifteen boxes of Coleoptera 

 comprising the local collection of Pennsylvania and New Jersey 

 presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences by the Social on 

 June 22, 1897, was read ; the same being dated Oct. 5, 1897, 

 signed Benjamin Sharp, Corresponding Secretary. 



Prof. Smith exhibited some very good photographs of the 

 peach-borer, Sannina exitiosa, and the pear-borer, Sesia pyri. 

 Continuing, Prof Smith read and discussed an article published 

 in "The Literary Digest" entitled, "How Flies walk on the 

 Ceiling." In it is stated that in old text-books we are told that 

 flies are enabled to walk on the ceiling by means of " suckers" 

 on their feet. This and some later explanations it states are dis- 

 cussed by G. H. Dierhold, in "Our Animal Friends" (Septem- 

 ber). Some of the theories advanced were: first, that each little 

 fly foot is a miniature air pump; second, that flies stick to glass 

 by means of a viscous fluid substance which exudes from the 

 hairs with which the foot cushion is covered; and thirdly, that 

 what is now considered the true theory of the walking of flies on 

 smooth substances is, that they hang on by the help of capillary 

 adhesion — the molecular attraction between solid and liquid 



