Dec, 1908.] Proceedings of the Society. 245 



Canadian Entom., Vol. XL, No. 4. 



Zeitschr. f. Wissensch. Insektenbiologie, Vol. IV, No. 3. 



Annales de la Soc. Entomol. de Belgique, Vol. LI, 1907. 



Mr. Dow, chairman of the outing committee, spoke concerning the proposed ex- 

 cursion to Garrett Rock, Patterson, N. J., Sunday, May 3. 



Dr. Zabriskie, with a very appropriate speech, presented to Professor Wheeler a 

 number of ash trays which had been manufactured from beach-clams obtained at 

 Rockaway Peach. 



Mr. Leng exhibited a collection of Cychrtts obtained from the eastern United 

 States, and spoke concerning " The Northeastern Species of Cychrtts. " This paper 

 is soon to be published, so Mr. Leng's remarks are not here set forth, but one state- 

 meet of Mr. Leng's concerning the improbability of Cychrtts feeding exclusively on 

 snails led to considerable discussion. Mr. Wheeler brought out the point that the 

 length of the head had been instrumental in strengthening the idea that the Cychrtts 

 feeds on snails. Mr. Schaeffer said that though they were fond of snails they would 

 feed on almost any soft-bodied insects. Mr. Davis remarked that at Lakehurst he 

 had found Cychrtts elevattts, but with a possible exception of a few under bark he had 

 found no snails in that locality. Evidently, therefore, they must feed on something 

 else. 



Mr. Leng's paper also mentioned Jordan's law that two closely allied species 

 seldom occur in the same locality and that if they do their habits are different. Pro- 

 fessor Wheeler stated that in his opinion this law would not hold good and mentioned, 

 to support his belief, cases in which two species of ants, very closely allied, lived in 

 the same locality and under the same ecological conditions ; also of two closely allied 

 species of sea-bean which he had seen growing together on the beaches of Porto Rico. 



Mr. Davis mentioned that if the theory of mutation were correct we should 

 expect to find closely allied forms closely associated and cited the case of his finding 

 several allied species of morning glory in the same locality. 



Mr. Davis showed a collection of Cecropia cocoons opened by woodpeckers and 

 by mice. The woodpeckers pierce with their bills cocoons that are on branches suf- 

 ficiently large not to give way before their blows. The birds are careful to make the 

 holes near the center of the cocoon so as to reach must readily the pupa within. 

 Mice, however, when opening cocoons on elder-bushes and like situations, do not 

 work so definitely, for while they usually pull the cocoons open from the bottom, 

 they are just as likely to make two or even three holes in them before deciding on 

 any definite mode of procedure. 



Mr. Davis also exhibited and made a few remarks on four species of Chauliodts 

 from Staten Island, and a fifth one from New Jersey, these being all of the species 

 so far known from eastern North America. 



Mr. Harris spoke concerning the results of his examination of Mr. Liitgen's 

 collection 



Society adjourned. 



Meeting of May 5, 1908. 



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

 the chair, with eighteen members and one visitor present. 



The Librarian, Mr. Schaeffer, reported the receipt of the following exchanges: 



