240 The West American Scie7iiisi. 



AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION, SAN JACINTO, SAN DIEGO 

 COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 



Public School. Nov. 4, 1887. — After the calling to order, and 

 other routine business had been transacted, the President called 

 upon each member in succession to bring his contribution to the 

 day's exercises. Each member, as his name was called, exhibited 

 a mounted insect specimen, collected, classified and labeled by 

 himself since the last meeting. Each of these specimens was ac- 

 companied by a short essay, explaining and classifying the speci- 

 men, giving in many cases detailed drawings of the insect as a 

 whole and of its parts. These essays were all written upon uni- 

 form paper, and were preserved by the Curator for future refer- 

 ence. Many of the members also made large blackboard drawings 

 with colored chalks to illustrate their essays. Some of the e:?^er- 

 cises were as follows: Milton Bates brought in a specimen of 

 beetle and made a large drawing of its leg, showing the scientific 

 name and use of each part. Minnie Cree read an essay, calling- 

 attention to the value and attractiveness of Entomology, illustrated 

 by a blackboard full of large drawings showing a typical insect in 

 the larva form, the pupa form, and in its final perfect condition, a 

 beautiful butterfly. Maud McCormick presented a fine specimen 

 of wood borer with drawings on blackboard and paper. Charley 

 Stoddard's specimen was a grasshopper, very neatly drawn on 

 paper in different positions, with detailed drawings of its parts. 

 Thomas Fairchild showed a large green tomato worm — then ex- 

 hibited the same in its pupa form — and finally called attention to a 

 blackboard drawing, several feet square, of a magnificent moth, 

 the perfect form of the same insect. This was considered* to*be 

 the finest drawing of the day. William Russell brought in and 

 exhibited to the society a series of comic drawings of grasshop- 

 pers, that excited much merriment. Miguel Estudillo brought in 

 a butterfly, and created a "great deal of amusement by describing 

 the adventures that befell him while capturing it. Mr. Hyatt gave 

 a short lecture, showing the difference between good specimens 

 and bad ones, and explaining in detail the four forms of insect life. 

 Mary Anderson explained the difference between butterflies and 

 moths, and showed drawings of the scales on the wings of butter- 

 flies. Fichie Foot, Carrie Clark and Minnie Todd sang a song 

 about the charms of "Gathering up the bugs from the green 

 fields. ' ' The secretary's table, at the close of the meeting, showed 

 a remarkable collection of insects to have been made in one place 

 within the space of three days. Every one of the orders of insect 

 life was represented. More than^5o specimens, belonging to more 

 than 25 diflerent species were there. The number of species from 

 each order was as follows: Hymenoptera 4, Lepidoptera 9, Dip- 

 tera 2, Hemiptera 3, Coleoptera t, Orthoptera 5, Neuroptera i. 

 The society was assisted in making its collection by several mem- 



