ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



Philadelphia, Pa,, November, 1918. 



Entomology in Central Europe. 

 Recent military and political events in Europe raise one's 

 hopes that the end of man's violent attack on the life of his 

 own species is approaching and that among the blessings of 

 peace may be a renewed cultivation of the constructive sciences. 

 How thoroughly depressed entomology and, doubtless, other 

 fields of study appear to those in Central Europe may be seen 

 from the following extracts from letters from a correspondent 

 in a neutral covmtry, written the past summer. 



I have fallen into a kind of apathy regarding almost everything in 

 connection with my foreign correspondents. This is part of a general 

 mental disposition, prevailing in myself (and in many others!); one 

 tries to do his daily work, to look for some distraction and comfort in 

 direct contact with Nature (who is not changed) and leave the rest to 

 kismet. May this unhappy condition change before it becomes un- 

 changeable or worse ! 



I think I am not mistaken if I note the progressive atrophy of scien- 

 tific work, here and elsewhere, as far as I can see ; no doubt it would 

 be superficial to see the reason for this phenomenon in want of paper, 

 increased expense for printing, want of working hands; all these things 

 have their share, but the principal reason is the condition of minds. 



You may scarcely imagine how much the condition of all our scien- 

 tific periodicals — I believe not only here but all over Europe — is dis- 

 couraging fto^ writing any article of some length. They can neither 

 live nor die, but I am afraid the prognostic is rather for death. The 

 leading medical papers alone seem to make exception, the one I am 

 subscribing [to] for more than thirtv years remains on a remarkably 

 high standard and is even positively improved by the reduction of 

 space. Epidemiology appears to be the branch of science that has 

 taken most profit from the common disaster of all; also a siijiiuni 



tcmporis. 



— » i 



Notes and News. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS 

 OF THE GLOBE. 



Collecting Notes from California (Lepid). 



Dr. Holland and Prof. Comstock both insist that all Heterocera rest 

 with wings spread flat, or rolled — never held erect in butterfly fashion. 

 Out here we have several small Geometers (Hydriojiiciwf) that often 

 rest in true butterflv stvle. with wings erect, but they also frequentlv 

 rest with outspread wings. But has anyone ever seen FernaldcUa 

 fimetaria G. & R., resting with wings flattened out? T have taken 

 dozens at light here in the past three years, and seen hundreds of 

 specimens, and have yet to see one resting in moth-fashion. The wings 

 are always held erect and tightly together. 



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