1888.] 465 General Meeting.] 



Professor Putnam gave an account of observations made upon 

 two species of wasps, while in camp at the Serpent Mound, Ohio, 

 ia September. One species carried large green caterpillars long 

 distances to holes previously made, and travelled in a direct line 

 to the hole, although it was impossible for the insect to be guided 

 by sight of the spot ahead, owing to the rough ground and tall 

 weeds. He thought that possibly the wasp may have been guided 

 by the wind, but the sighting of some high object on the line fol- 

 lowed may also have been the means of guidance. 



The other species observed carried the caterpillar to the edge of 

 an ant hole and let the ants do the burying by pulling the cat- 

 erpillar into their hole, which they immediately proceeded to do. 

 In this case it would seem that the wasp had deposited its eggs 

 in the caterpillar before taking it to the ant hole, but no observa- 

 tions were made to prove this point. The actions of the wasp 

 were conclusive that it was searching for an ant's nest, which was 

 eventually found, and its aimless way of travelling was in marked 

 contrast to the species which had prepared a hole for the recep- 

 tion of the caterpillar. 



General Meeting, Jan, 18, 1888. 



The President, Prof. F. W. Putnam, in the chair. 



Dr. G. L. Goodale spoke of some recent experiments on the ger- 

 mination of seeds, undertaken at the Botanic Laboratory in Cam- 

 bridge by four students and himself. 



Mr. Setchell then described the effect of immersion in various 

 fluids — some toxic — upon germination and growth of sunflower 

 seeds. 



Mr. K. Miyabe spoke of the development of radicle and rootlets 

 in the same seedlings. 



Mr. W. F. Ganong described the extent of germination of seeds 

 placed in water from which oxygen had been removed. 



Mr. F. H. Newell read the following paper on the fossils of the 



PROCEEDINGS B. 8. N. H. VOL. XXIII. 30 MAY, 1SS8. 



