262 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [October, 



by Reitter. It has all along been questionable whether the genus was a 

 valid one; and for the present I do not care to propose a substitute, but 

 will refer the species hitherto placed under it to Dactylopius. — T. D. A. 



COCKERELL. 



Following a Mistake. — In Dr. Uhler's list of Heteroptera by some 

 mistake, I suppose, the family Berytidae is placed before the section Rho" 

 palina, of the family Coreidae. Various lists of Heteroptera lately pub- 

 lished follow blindly this mistake. It reflects but little credit on American 

 entomology that authors should betray ignorance both of the literature 

 of the subject and of the insects themselves. For the use of the word 

 " Rhopalina," a knowledge of the insects, or a glance at some of Dr. 

 Uhler's later papers ought to arouse a suspicion that there was something 

 wrong in placing Harmostes in the Berytidae. 



The " Fourth" at Jamesburg, N. J. — For the fourth time the ento- 

 mologists of Philadelphia, Newark, Brooklyn and New York united in 

 fraternal intercourse at Jamesburg, N. J., on Independence Day. On 

 arriving in Jamesburg the party was driven to the grounds "a la buck- 

 board" and soon a "still hunt" after specimens of the various orders was 

 in operation. But alas ! whether due to the fact that umbrellas were in a 

 minority, or to the detonation of a huge bomb, set off by Schmitz and 

 imported by him from China at a large expense, and which Dr. Skinner 

 assured the crowd was a fake, and would make no more noise than the 

 ordinary shooter sold at five cents per hundred, rain set in shortly after 

 the arrival. Fortunately, for a large number of the party, coleopterists 

 with their always-present umbrellas were out in force, and fortunately for 

 the beetles these were soon used for other purposes than that for which 

 they were chiefly brought. Coleopterists show much foresight in choosing 

 extra large umbrellas. 



Thanks to Mr. Conerty, the man who kindly looks after our wants on 

 the occasion, and the rest of the time raises cranberries by the bogful, 

 the party was housed in the large sorting room attached to his barn and 

 but a short time was required to forget the rain and to dispel any vindictive 

 wrath_that may have been harbored against the deceptive weather prophet 

 who, on the day preceding, had suavely prophesied that "the day we 

 celebrate will be an ideal day." 



Matters were enlivened by a banjo, skillfully played by Mr. Weidt, and 

 then followed several hours of song and general merriment in which all 

 participated uninterruptedly, save when a luckless moth, disturbed by the 

 merrymakers, attempted to escape by flying against the windows, which 

 of course sent several Lepidopterists chasing after it, or when a visit was 

 made to the " Quelle" for refreshment. 



Historian J. B. Smith read a review of the previous meetings, which 

 was replete with witticisms and indicated his ability to deal with historical 

 subjects as skillfully as with the characters of Noctuidae and Lachnosterna. 

 Later, a discussion on sugaring took the excursionist's attention, and was 

 participated in by essrs. Ottolengui, J. Johnson and others. 



