133 



In discussing these two papers, Mr. Eiley thought the peculiar differ- 

 ence in liabit iu this species at the two i)hices mentioned coukl be 

 easily exj)lained by heredity. Acquired beneficial characters have 

 fixed themselves upon the species, and this explains why its habits 

 differ so maxkedly in the two localities. He thought that if specimens 

 were sent to New Brunswick from Washington they would be double 

 brooded there, while specimens from ISTew Brunswick would remain 

 single brooded at Washington, irrespective of climate. He would- 

 expect, however, some deviation from the normal habit in both cases. 



In a paper entitled '^ The Inhabitants a of Fungus," Mr. H. G. Hub- 

 bard si)oke of the various insects, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Lepi- 

 doptera, and their larvae, as observed by him to live iu a x)eculiar fun- 

 gus, Cryptoporus obvolutus Peck, which grows on burned pine logs in 

 British Columbia. Some of these insects are merely predaceous, while 

 others feed on all parts of the fungus and are of no special interest. 

 More interest is attached to those species which develop within the 

 natural cavity of the fungus. From the peculiar structure of the lat- 

 ter Mr. Hubbard concluded that mainly, if not entirely, by the aid of 

 these insects (more especially Epurcea monogama) the si^ores of the 

 fungus are transported from place to place. To the agency of another 

 Ooleopter, Platydema oregonense^ Mr. Hubbard is inclined to ascribe 

 the production of the peculiar filaments which form within the veil of 

 the fungus. 



In his paper on the American Bean Weevil, Prof. 0. Y. Eiley dis- 

 cussed the nomenclature of this insect, and concluded that on the 

 strict law of priority it must be known as Bruchus obtectus Say, until 

 some hitherto unrecognized and uni^ublished name can be proved to 

 refer to it. He treated the oviposition of Bruchus in the field, and 

 showed that the parent insect oviposits within the i^od, either using 

 her jaws to make a hole in the pod through which to insert the eggs, 

 or waiting until the beans are sufficiently lijye to cause a partial open- 

 ing of the pod and then thrusting the eggs into the slit in masses. 



Mr. Webster introduced Dr. Edward Murphy, of New Harmony, Ind., 

 who was personally acquainted with Thomas Say for eight years 

 before the death of the latter in 1834. Dr. Murphy gave the club an 

 interesting account of Mr. Say, his life, peculiarities, and habits. 



Mr. H. G. Hubbard's paper on Xenos gave a vivid picture of the 

 life history and habits of this parasitic beetle from si)ecimens obtained 

 from colonies of Polistes kept in confinement. 



The male Xenos uniformly issued from the puparia very early in the 

 morning. They are extremely short-lived and delicate insects, being 

 unable to stand the full light of the sun. They are further incax^able 

 of resting on account of the rudimentary development of the legs and 

 during the few minutes of their life fly about with such swiftness that 

 the eye of the observer would be unable to perceive their presence in 

 the breeding cage but for the peculiar attitude assumed by the wasps. 



