1898.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 127 



tion on the two sides of the body in the Odonata were not un- 

 common, and the characters of the majority of specimens would 

 decide the value of the characters. The same speaker called at- 

 tention to a paper on the Odonata of Maine by Prof. F. L. Har- 

 vey, in the current number of Entomological News, stating 

 that the male sex of Gompkus ncevius, previously unknown, was 

 described therein, and exhibited both sexes of this species, as 

 also the types of Somatochlora elongata Scud., var. minor, de- 

 scribed in a foot-note to the same. Dr. Calvert also reported 

 the capture of Nehalennia posiia (March 24th) in the green- 

 house of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Smith asked if 

 variation of moment occurred in the male genitalia of dragonflies. 

 Dr. Calvert said in the American species he had not noticed va- 

 riation of consequence, but in some European species consider- 

 able variation had been found. Dr. Smith said that in the 

 Noctuidae the genitalia were unvariable, while in the genus I.ach- 

 nosterna the special value of studying the genitalia had been well 

 illustrated. A number of good species had been confused before 

 a study of the genitalia had been made. A vote of thanks was 

 tendered Mr. Geo. B. King for his gift of slides showing various 

 insects. Dr. D. M. Castle was elected a member of the Section. 



Dr. Henry Skinner, Recorder. 



At the meeting of the Feldman Collecting Social held on April 

 1 2th, Mr. H. Wenzel, on behalf of Prof. Smith, extended an 

 invitation to the members to attend the April meet of the Newark 

 Entomological Society to be held in New Brunswick April 24, 

 1898. 



Mr. Bland exhibited specimens of Opatrinus, notus taken at 

 Manayunk, on March 16th, and showing variation in marking 

 and punctuation. 



Dr. Skinner, on behalf of Mr. Hornig, recorded the capture 

 of Anthocaris genutia on April 3d, quite an early date for this 

 species. 



Mr. Aaron exhibited a nest of common mud dauber, Sceliphron 

 cementarius. His attention had been called to this nest in the 

 field, because it had apparently been perforated in several places 

 and the perforations then filled with a clay of a different color 

 from that composing the body of nest. He had reared a Try- 

 poxylon albitarse from it and found, further, the larva of an 

 Osmia, evidently parasitic on Trypoxy/on-\arvse. The same 

 speaker exhibited a drawing of Anther vz 'a yamamai, which pro- 

 duces the wild silk of Japan. It is not subject to manv diseases, as 

 is the case with the silk worm of the United States, Bombyx mori, 

 and the speaker believed the introduction of Anthercea into the 

 United States would be successful, inasmuch as the climatic con- 

 ditions of the southern United States and Japan are known to be 

 quite similar. Anther^a feeds on oak. 



