118 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xvi. 



hollow tree trunks by boring holes in preformed pits which occur above each leaf 

 petiole. The large swellings caused by the work of this ant were supposed by von 

 Ihering to be large galls, but Professor Wheeler remarked that it was more likely 

 that the bulging outward of the sap-wood of the trunk was due to stress of weight 

 where the wood becomes thin. Another species of Azteca [A. lanuginosa) exhib- 

 ited showed the nest on the outside of the Cecropia. Still another made a long 

 pendulous nest. Professor Wheeler also mentioned other peculiarities both in the 

 nests and in the structure of the body of these ants. He also exhibited and spoke of 

 the peculiar "cow-sheds" made by ants over alder aphids (Schizoneura tessellata) 

 which he had collected at Lakehurst. 



Mr. Davis spoke of experimenting with acetic ether recently as a killing reagent 

 for insects. He placed some "excelsior" in a wide-mouthed bottle and moistened 

 it with this new killing reagent. He found it worked very satisfactorily, not chang- 

 ing the colors of the moths and katydids, which were left sometime in the bottle. It 

 does not evaporate readily and is not as cheap a method as cyanide of potassium. 

 Mr. Bischoff said that he had tried acetic ether as a killing reagent and found it 

 very unsatisfactory, for when the insects were left several hours in the bottle the legs 

 and antennas became very brittle. 



Mr. Davis also exhibited specimens of a beetle ( Coscinoptera dominicana Fab. ) 

 raised from pupae found in ants' -nests {Formica schaufussi) in Newfoundland, N. J. 



Professor Wheeler exhibited a series of myrmecophilous beetles and Lycsenid 

 larvae which he had recently received from Staudinger and Bang- Haas of Dresden. 

 He spoke of the glands on the Lycaenid larvae and the peculiar extrusile processes 

 which were covered with plumose hairs, on the dorsal part of the last segment. The 

 function of these organs is still unknown. Of the myrmecophilous beetles he spoke 

 particularly of the members of the genus Paussus, none of which occur in North 

 America. He called attention to the fact that these beetles secrete pure iodine, ac- 

 cording to Loman. The antennae are peculiar in shape, the ants using them as handles 

 with which to carry the beetles about. Some curious ant-like spiders from Peru were 

 also shown. 



Mr. Engelhardt showed the flattened cases made by the fastening together of 

 oak leaves by the larvae of the moth Cecinnus mehheimeri Harris. In some of these 

 the larvae were still present. 



Society adjourned. 



Meeting of November 19, 1907. 



Held at the American Museum of Natural History. President C. W. Leng in 

 the chair, with eleven members and several visitors present. 



The report of the treasurer, Mr. Davis, was read and accepted. Mr. Schaeffer, 

 the librarian, reported the receipt of the following publications : 



Deutsche Entomolog. Zeitschr., 1907, No. 5. 



Mitth. aus d. Zool. Mus. in Berlin, Vol. Ill, No. 3. 



Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci., Vol. X, Vol. XII, June and July. 



Wiener Entomolog. Zeitung, Vol. XXVI, No. 10. 



On Some Earwigs by A. N. Caudell. 



Descr. of New N. Amer. Tineid Moths by Lord Walsingham. 



No. Carolina Dept. Agric. Ent. Circul., Nos. 18 and 19. 



