1 68 ENTOMOj:.OGiCAL NEWS. [October, 



Doings of Societies. 



The Entomological Society of Washington. — February's, 1891. 

 Mr. Schwarz presented for publication descriptions of two North American 

 species of the Cuculionid genus Phylobius, and one of them he considered 

 to be identical with the European P. vela/us. The other is described under 

 the name of Ph. griseomicans. Mr. Schwarz also spoke of the diffi- 

 culty in recognizing, from the descriptions, the North American species 

 of Pityophthorus and pointed out that only secondary sexual charac- 

 ters seemed to offer a satisfactory criterion for the separation of many 

 closely allied species. The Pityophthorus so common under bark of 

 Liquid Amber is not P. annectens as formerly assumed by him, but is 

 identical with the species occurring under bark of Sumach, and which is 

 named in collections P. consimilis. Discussed by Messrs. Riley and 

 Schwarz. 



Prof. Riley introduced the question of what, strictly speaking, is a co- 

 coon, and said that he was strongly of the opinion that this term should 

 not be applied to cells formed by the hollowing out of plant substances, 

 such as the end, stalk or crown of plants, or to cells made in the earth. 

 The word " cocoon," he stated, should signify a structure composed more 

 or less of silk or gluten. The others could be more strictly termed pupal 

 cells or cradles. 



C. L. Marlatt, 



Pecorditig Secretary. 



OBITUARY 



Edward Burgess. — "Edward Burgess, the well-known entomologist 

 and yacht designer, died at Boston the early part of July, 1891. He was 

 forty-three years old at the time of his death. After graduating at Har 

 vard in 1871, he was instructor in entomology for some time, and became 

 well known as a student of the Diptera. He published a number of de- 

 scriptive papers, and brought together a large collection. He also became 

 interested in insect anatomy, and published several admirable papers upon 

 this subject. His anatomy of the milk-weed butterfly, published in the 

 Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History is a most admirable 

 paper, and a positive contribution to knowledge." 



Entomological News for September was mailed September 2, i£ 



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