Dour THÉ CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 
readers. Before proceeding to do so, however, we must not omit to draw 
special attention to what was really the grand feature of the meeting—the 
retiring President, Professor Gray’s, able and most interesting address, ue 
to recommend its perusal to all our readers. 
The only entomological paper read in Section B, “ Natural History,” 
was a very interesting one by Mr. C. V. Riley, on “ The Fertilization of 
the Yucca Plant by Pronuba Yuccasella;? it was listened to with marked 
attention, and was followed by an animated discussion, in which Prof. 
Gray, Mr. Morse and others took part. It will, we believe, be published 
very shortly by the author, but meanwhile we may give a base outline of 
its leading features. It appears that the American Vuccas possess flowers 
so peculiarly constructed, that it is impossible for the pollen to reach the 
stigma, and consequently they depend upon artificial means for their 
fertilization. Mr. Riley has discovered that the ‘marriage priest” is a 
small white moth, hitherto unknown to science, which he has named 
Pronuba Yuccasella, and considers the type of a new genus. The most 
remarkable feature in the insect is that the female (not the male) has the 
basal joint of the maxillary palpus developed in a most extraordinary 
manner into a long curved tentacle furnished with spines. With this 
process the insect collects the pollen and conveys it to the tube of the 
stigma, which it could not. otherwise reach; she then lays her eggs, the 
larvæ from which feed upon the seeds of the Yucca fruit. .The larva 
escapes to the ground when full grown, and passes the winter there in a 
silken cocoon. Mr. Riley remarked that in the more northern portions 
of America, where the Yucca had been introduced for the sake of its 
ornamental flowers, it never bore seed on account of the absence of this 
insect ; by the introduction of this moth, however, the defect might with- 
out difficulty be remedied. 
A matter of much interest to the entomologists present, and which 
will probably prove of importance hereafter, was the formation of ‘an 
Entomological Sub-section. On Saturday, the 24th of August, during the 
general meeting of the Association, a notice was read requesting those 
interested in this department of Natural History to meet together at the 
close of the morning session for the purpose of consulting together 
respecting the organization of a Sub-section. At the timé appointed, the 
following members were present: Rev. Dr. Morris, of Baltimore, Md. ; 
Mr. C. V. Riley, St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. G. M. Levette, Indianapolis ; Mr. 
'O. S. Westcott, Chicago; Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, Port Hope, Ont.; Mr. 
W. Saunders, London, Ont., and Miss M. B. Norton, Rockford, Ill. 
