15 



'The use of this was in copulation ; the ? antenna? were grasped in this curve, the articu- 

 lated spine closed the curve by being directed forward, while the anterior part of the 

 antenna was folded backward, thus tightly holding the $ antenna?. The form in Meloe is 

 -similar to that of Hermima, and without the articulate spine still serves the same purpose. 

 In Spkalera and Tomoxia there is a double-jointed appendix to the last joint of the maxil- 

 lary palpi which probably served the same purpose. These structures are explainable. 

 Others are more obscure and not yet explained. For instance, Lebia has a notch on the 

 inside, near the end of the middle tibia in the $ . A species of Aphodius has a very 

 curiously hooked first tarsal joint to the hind leg. Another species has a peculiar club- 

 -shaped appendage to the inner side of the fore tibise. What use these served was not yet 

 satisfactorily ascertained. 



Mr. Cresson said that except in the parasitic forms, there were no such characters in 

 the Hymenoptera, and that group he had not studied. 



Mr. Osborn stated that very interesting characters occurred in the Mallophagidae, 

 .and especially one in Lipeuris, which much resembled that of Tomoxia. 



Mr. Smith moved the appointment of a committee of three to arrange a programme 

 and secure papers for the next meeting ; seconded and carried. The committee appointed 

 •consisted of Mr. J. B. Smith, chairman, and Messrs. Herbert Osborn and B. Pickman 

 Mann. On motion the Club then adjourned, to meet again under the rules at the next 

 (meeting of the A. A. A. S. 



The President then delivered his annual address as follows : 



% 

 ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 



Gentlemen, — The working entomologist, ever on the watch and ready to note the 

 many items of interest in connection with insect life, will seldom pass a season without 

 finding many facts Avorthy of record, which, if not of general interest, are at least of local 

 importance. While the year 1884 h*s not been marked by any unusual invasion of 

 destructive insects, affecting our country as a whole and exciting general comment, yet 

 many localities have suffered either from the unusual development of familiar forms of 

 insect life, or from the introduction of new pests. 



Early in the year some excitement was caused in the Ottawa district by the appearance 

 of a very destructive caterpillar in great numbers in the clover fields, which rapidly devoured 

 the foliage. This was at first supposed to be be an invasion of the veritable army worm, 

 but on inspection it proved to be a very different insect. On the 23rd of May I had the 

 opportunity of examining some of the affected fields in company with our Vice-President 

 arid Mr. W. H. Harrington. The caterpillars were exceedingly numerous, and much of 

 the clover had been seriously injured by them. They were a species of cut-worm, the pro- 

 geny of a moth known as agrotis fennica. This larva measured from 1^ to 1-| inches 

 in length, had a dark yellowish brown head with a bla:jk stripe down the front, and a 

 black body with two yellow stripes on each side, the upper one composed of streaks and 

 dots of yellow, the lower, which was near the under surface, formed of two crinkled yellow 

 lines which approached each other on the anterior segments and diverged posteriorly ; on 

 the upper part of the second segment was a black horny shield, the breathing holes on the 

 sides were also surrounded with black. 



The underside was brownish black, the feet and the fleshy prolegs, pale brown. 



At the time of this visit the caterpillars were nearly full grown and it was observed 

 that many of them were affected by a singular disease of a fungoid character which 

 was destroying them very rapidly, — -the diseased insects after death remaining extended on 

 the leaves of clover or blades of grass in a natural position but somewhat discoloured. On 

 handling them the skin was found to be quite tender and the body filled with a thin dark- 

 coloured fluid, the result of the decomposition of the tissues. This disease spread very 

 rapidly and was no doubt contagious. I collected some fifty or sixty specimens, all appar- 



