19 



Prof. Riley stated that lie had found the Colorado beetle in South Carolina. 

 The meeting adjourned at 6 o'clock. 



Monday, August 30th. 



The Sub-section of Entomology met at the Institute this morning, Dr. J. G. Morris 

 in the chair. For the first time the titles of the papers to be read, with the names of the 

 officers, were published in the Association programme for the day. 



Prof. Fernald gave a brief description of his method of preparing and mounting the 

 wings of Micro-lepidoptera. 



Mr. B. P. Mann gave an account of the contributions of the Cambridge Entomologi- 

 cal Club and the progress of Entomology. 



Prof. C. V. Riley described the life-habits of several bee-flies (Bombyliidce), and made 

 some remarks on tree-crickets and on the early stages of Blepharocera. 



Dr. Hagen exhibited a specimen of Passalns cornutus, which was entirely destitute 

 of any trace of elytra, but possessed wings and all other parts quite perfect. He stated 

 that it was impossible that the elytra had been artificially removed and that he considered 

 this to be a very rare natural deformity. 



Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, in the absence of Dr. Hoy, who was to have read the next 

 paper on the occurrence of Aletia argillacea in Wisconsin, stated that he had learned in 

 conversation with Dr. Hoy that this moth had occurred in immense numbers on ripe 

 melons near Racine, Wis., and that he had himself in the autumn of 1865, taken a great 

 quantity of the moths feeding on fallen plums and apples, but that ordinarily the moth 

 was not at all common in Ontario. 



Prof. Riley considered that the Aletia flew to the north when superabundant in its 

 natural home in the cotton growing regions of the south ; that it fed there on some mal- 

 vaceous plant, lived a year, but not probably longer, and then was no longer to be found 

 in northern localities until another emigration took place when it again became numerous. 

 He did not think that it could possibly live for more than a few generations in the 

 Nothern States or Canada. 



Mr. Mann was of opinion that it- must live for years in the north, finding some 

 suitable food plant, though like veiy many other insects it was frequently scarce and then 

 suddenly appeared in great numbers. 



Dr. Lintner stated that he had found the moth at an altitude of 1800 feet on the 

 Adirondack Mountains, and that Dr. Hoy had informed him that he had taken the larva 

 in June at Racine. 



Dr. E. L. Mark described some points in the anatomy of the Goccidce. 



The list of papers having been exhausted, the Section now adjourned to meet next 

 year in Cincinnati, Ohio. 



POPULAR PAPERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 



Entomology for Beginners. 



By James Fletcher, Ottawa, Ont. 



Entomology seems to be gradually throwing off the veil of contempt under which it 

 has been so long hidden. The Botanist has always to a certain extent been deemed a 

 philosopher from the important part plants play in Pharmacy ; the Geologist and Miner- 

 alogist, too, from the possibility of their discovering precious metals have been treated by 

 the outside unscientific world as sages worthy of some respect. Entomologists, however, 

 have not thus been honoured by the masses. The question would be asked — What 

 tangible results can come from collecting flies and bugs and sticking pins through them 1 

 and in vain the amount of damage done by insects year by year might be estimated and 

 pointed out. Tl is state of affairs, though, I believe, is now at an end. The claims of the 

 science on all agriculturists and horticulturists are daily becoming more apparent. The 

 institution of the United States Entomological Commission, and the success that has 



