10 



Mr. J. H. Emerton announced that the types of a large number of the species 

 described by him in his work on the " NeAv England Spiders of the Family Therididav 

 and all the types of a paper now in press, were at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and 

 he would be happy to exhibit them to any who would make an appointment with himw 

 for that purpose. 



On motion, the meeting was adjourned until 2.30 p.m., Sept 4th, to meet then at the 

 Entomological Rooms in the Academy of Natural Sciences, the use of this room having 

 been offered by Messrs. Horn and Aaron on behalf of the A. E. S. 



Pursuant to adjournment, the Club met at the rooms of the Am. Ent. Soc. at 2.30 

 p. m., Sept. 4th, Dr. Morris in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read 

 and adopted. 



The committee appointed at the last meeting reported that they did not consider that 

 the scheme proposed by Mr. Westcott for the publication of an entomological periodical, 

 a practicable one for the Club to undertake. 



Mr. Smith gave an account of the secondary sexual characters of the Noctuida?, illus 

 trated by blackboard sketches, showing peculiarities of leg structure in the male butter- 

 flies and some analogous variations in the Deltoids, in which latter group the tibiae often 

 become aborted, while the first tarsal joint is often so abnormally developed that it is 

 usually mistaken for the tibia. The peculiar brushes of the fore legs were noticed and 

 some modifications commented on. The abnormal development of the last tarsal joint of 

 Palthis was illustrated, as was also the peculiar palpal structure of the $ of that genus ;. 

 so of antenna?, the peculiar bends and tuf tings of the $ , especially of the group Her- 

 miniinae, were noted, as were the more usual pectinations. In conclusion, Mr. Smith 

 mentioned the varying practice of systematists as to what generic value these characters- 

 should have. In some instances these male characters were wanting, while in all other 

 respects the species agreed with others in which all these peculiar structures were well 

 developed ; on the contrary, occasionally a species would be found which offered some 

 peculiar character in the $ not usually found in its near allies, instancing If. paradoxus, 

 in which the $ has a pellucid impression in the fore wing, around which the venation is 

 somewhat modified. What shall we do with such a species 1 The ? well fits into- 

 Heliothis. Shall the $ then authorize a genus whei e the ? offers no basis for it f 

 Students of other groups should give their experiences. 



Prof. Fernald said that in the Tortricids, generic, and even higher value, had been 

 given to these characters. The costal fold was a prominent $ character, abnormally 

 developed in many exotic forms. In a South India form it extends full two-thirds across 

 the wings, while in other Indian and Japanese species it is very wide, but not so abnor- 

 mally developed. Families have been based upon these characters, and one genus has 

 been based upon a character peculiar to the ? only. This genus he thought would have 

 to be abandoned. 



Dr. Horn said that in systematic work and in characterizing a species both sexes 

 should be considered. It requires two individuals, a $ and a ? , to make a single 

 complete example of a species, and classification should consider these individuals together 

 in assigning positions to them. Synoptic work has a higher purpose than a mere aid to 

 a recognition of species. 



Prof. Fern aid was interested in Dr. Horn's view of the case ; he had been interested 

 in the view that nature had no genera, but species only. For his part he thought he 

 would be satisfied if he had a good definition of a species. 



Dr. Maclosky said that birds sometimes offer remarkable differences in sex, and 

 species can be distinguished only by a reference to both. The flickers, for instance, of the 

 two sides of the continent were very distinct, but in some intermediate localities the 

 species approached so closely that it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the 

 females, while the males were separable. There was no anatomical difference between the 

 species, but he thought there must be physiological characters not yet discovered which 

 separated them. 



Dr. Morris thought it a curious classification that would place male and female ii 

 different genera if separately considered. 



Mr. Osborn read a paper on MaU.ophaga and Pedicididte of X. A., illustrated by 



