1S4 e;ntomological news [April, '12 



Aletia argillacea (Lepicl.) Since the flight of this moth last fall 

 seems to have attracted the attention of observers in different parts of 

 the country, it may be v^^orth while to put on record the notes I made at 

 the time of the appearance of the horde at Iowa City. If data from 

 different sections are properly correlated, we may learn something 

 definite and valuable regarding the speed, extent and exciting causes of 

 the movement. My notes, with one or two slight verbal changes to 

 make them comprehensible to the general reader (by the omission of 

 certain purely local references), are as follows: "October i, 1911. 

 This morning, on going to the post-office, I noticed that the side of 

 the building around the south door was plentifully sprinkled with these 

 moths, most of them resting head downward on the stone wall, others 

 clinging to the globes or supports of the two large lights with less 

 regularity of pose. In one place four of the insects were resting in 

 a row, the thorax of each of the last three tucked under the wings of 

 the one preceding. The moths seem very fresh and in fine condition. 

 1 counted 100 at this place and estimated that there must be at least 

 150 in the group. At the west door only about twenty were to be 

 counted. On the way home I saw them in abundance on the electric 

 light poles along Iowa Avenue, and on one corner they were plentiful 

 in the grass at the base of the support, flying out in numbers when 

 disturbed. This flight has followed two or three days of unsettled, 

 more or less rdny weather. On the night of the 29th of September 

 there were none about the avenue lights, since Mr. Stoner and myself 

 had been out looking for beetles and would certainly have noticed the 

 moths had they been present. The invasion seems to have been sud- 

 den, and to have taken place last night." A note made the next day 

 (October 2) refers to the great abundance of the moths on poles at 

 various points about town. In one place 35 were counted on a space 

 about the size of the palm of my hand. A later item states that five 

 days later scarcely any were left. This is the second really large 

 flight of the species that I have seen at Iowa City, the other taking 

 place in 1898, my record specimens carrying dates from September 7 

 to October 8, the majority being September 21. — H. F. Wickham, 

 Iowa City, Iowa. 



[,In addition to the notes by Mr. Muttkowski and Dr. Skinner in the 

 News for February, 1912, and November, 191 1, respectively, other ob- 

 servations on the swarms of this species are published in Journ. N. Y. 

 Ent. Soc. xix, p. 259, for Dec, 191 1. — Ed.] 



The Academy of Natur-al Sciences of Philadelphia celebrated 

 the One Hundredth Anniversary of its foundation By a three days' 

 series of meetings, a reception by the President, and a banquet, on 

 March 19th, 20th and 21st. 



