85 



southern Mississippi Sphinx larva? were very destructive to the foli- 

 age of tomatoes and the Boll-worm to the fruit. 



Club met at 8.30 a. m., 22d. 



Dr. Weed presented a short paper on the habits of Lixus concavus. 

 Discussed by Cook, Fletcher, and Webster. • 



Professor Hargitt called attention to early observations on the Canker 

 Worm.* 



Professor Hargitt also spoke of a Cecidomyia infesting the tops of 

 Solidago, and also presented some notes upon Cermatia forceps. 



This myriopod has, within the past two or three years, become quite 

 numerous in houses and college buildings at Oxford, Ohio. The difl&cul- 

 ties mentioned by Dr. Lintner in the fourth New York report, and by 

 others, of keeping the specimens in captivity, he found to be very gen- 

 eral. He succeeded in keeping them for several days in captivity, and 

 inducing them to take prey by keeping them in dark quarters during 

 the day. It took and devoured various insects, such as the croton bug, 

 mentioned b^' several observers, and the common house fly. 



Mr. Webster spoke of the predaceous habits of Cermatia and its 

 IDreying upon the croton bug. Mr. Fletcher had observed the insect 

 with Mr Howard, at Washington. Its mode of capturing the croton 

 bug before devouring it was remarkable. It sprang over its prey 

 which was thus encaged between many curved legs. He thought that 

 Mr. Hargitt's success in keeping alive the specimens he had confined 

 in a tin canister was more due to the moisture thus secured than the 

 darkness. He understood that this insect was a lover of damp places, 

 like many other myriopods. 



The club then proceeded to the election of officers for the ensuing 

 year, which resulted as follows : 



President, Prof Herbert Osborn, Ames, Iowa. 



Vice-President, Miss Mary E. Murtfeldt, Kirkwood, Mo. 



Secretary, Clarence M. Weed, Columbus, Ohio. 



Professor Osborn presented a paper on '^The Use of Contagious Dis- 

 eases in Destroying Injurious Insects." t 



Mr. Fletcher thought it difficult to keep diseases over winter and to 

 have them in the right condition when wanted. 



Professor Hargitt reported disease in the Canker Worm. 



Professor Cook thought the greatest argument against the use of 

 disease was the resistance against them. 



Professor Garman thought Empusa very difficult to introduce, much 

 more so than Bacteria. He doubted the practicability of infecting 

 the Boll-worm with the disease of the Cabbage Worm. This would 

 probably be better accomplished on the Tent Caterpillar. 



Adjourned to meet at 12 m. 



* Published in Insect Life, Vol. Ill, p. 8, lb90. 

 t To be published in Insect Life. 



