382 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Oct., '14 



Kansas, and of the Biological Expeditions sent out by the 

 University of Kansas, was then read. 



Mr. Grundel reported a prolonged collecting trip to the 

 Sierras. 



Mr. Harold C. Bryant gave a very instructive talk on "Pro- 

 tective Devices in Insects." He asked for the opinions of the 

 members present. It was stated that bee-birds (Tyranmis 

 verticalis and T. vociferans) feed only upon the drone bees. 

 Dr. Blaisdell stated that he was positive that they feed abund- 

 antly upon the worker-bees {Apis melMca), for, during four- 

 teen years in which he had worked in an apiary, he had shot 

 hundreds of bee-birds to protect the worker-bees. The stom- 

 achs of the birds were repeatedly examined and found filled 

 with bee-stings which appeared to be indigestible. 



Mr. Ralph Hopping, who is engaged in the Forestry Serv- 

 ice for Insect Control, gave an account of the work done in 

 the service, speaking in particular on the ravages of Dendroc- 

 tonus and Phloesinus; the former killing the trees on which 

 they depredate, the latter only the branches. 



Mr. Bridwell spoke of two rare or little known species of 

 Hymenoptera which he had collected — Methoca californica 

 Westwood, female, from Monte Rio, Sonoma Co., California, 

 parasitic in the burrows of tiger-beetles, and the female of a 

 new species of Myrmosa taken on the University of Califor- 

 nia campus, Berkeley. 



Mr. Grundel stated that the larvae of Arctia become abund- 

 ant at times in the Santa Cruz Mountains and defoliate all 

 of the live oaks. 



President Van Dyke gave a review of the genera of the 

 Blateridae. 



Dr. Blaisdell exhibited specimens of Thysanocnemis helvolus 

 and Idiostethus tubiilatus collected by beating in the vicinity 

 of Baltimore, Md. ; two specimens of Synetocephaliis aiitumna- 

 lis Fall, collected at Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, Cali- 

 fornia, in October, from the foliage of the live oaks (Quercus 

 wisUaeni) . 



Adjournment and refreshments. 



