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Psyche 4:54, 1883.

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PSYCHE.
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CAMBRIDGE, MASS., MAY-JUNE 1883.
Communications, exchanges and editors' copies should be addressed to EDITORS or PSYCHE, Cam. bridge, Mass. Comnunications for publication in PSYCHE must be properly authenticated, and no mony- mous articles will bepublished.
Editors and contributors are on7y responsible for the statements made h their own communications. Works on subjects not related to entomology mill not be reviewed in PSYCHE.
For rates of subscription and of advertising, seead- veriisiq columns.
REARING LEPIDOPTERA.
It will be gratifying to those entomol-
ogists who recognise the great importance of the knowledge of the early stages of insect life, to learn of the attention that is being given to this department of study by Mr. S. L. Elliot, of New York City. For the last few years, this gentleman has been indefati- gable in his lepidopterological studies, and especially in larval collections and breeding from the egg. Fortunate in the ability to devote his entire time to the work, and actu- ated by an enthusiasm that scarcely recog- nises the need of any respite from the ab- sorbing "labor of lovem- very valuable and important have already followed his
labors. The life-histories of a number of rare species have been worked out. New
species have been discovered, and so-called species shown to be simple varieties. Im- mense numbers of larvae have been collected and reared upon their food-plants, descrip- tions of the new forms, with the aid of Mr. Henry Edwards, have been taken, and thou- sands of perfect insects have been obtained for the cabinets of those who prize perfect forms.
His success in carrying lepidoptera
through their winter pupation, by means of a method and appliances devised by himself, has never, we believe, before been equalled. Several thousands of pupae have been carried through the past winter with scarcely any loss except that unavoidably resulting from parasitic attack. We know of no one else in the United States, who is rearing the larvae of lepidoptera so successfully and on so large a scale.
J. A. L.
BOOK NOTICES.
It is understood that Mr. Wm. Saunders,
of London, Ontario, has in preparation and has nearly completed a volume upon "The
Insects of our Fruits and Fruit-trees." The great need of the information that this vol- ume will present, has long been felt, and it is very gratifying to know that the want is soon to be supplied. The larger portion of it is already in type. Much labor has been be- stowed upon its preparation to render it as conlplete as possible and prefectly reliable. It will make a volume, as we learn from the author, of nearly 450 pages. Almost every species noticed will be illustrated, requiring for the purpose over 400 figures. It will be issued by the well known publishing-house of Lippincott & Co., of Philadelphia, in their best style, and will be offsred to the public at a price (probably $3) that will bring it with- in the reach of all who need it. From the distinguished ability of the author, his faniil- iarity with fruit-culture, and the special efforts made by him to render the volun~e all that it should be, we are confident that it will prove to be a standard work upon the subject of which it treats, and that it cannot fail of com- manding an extensive sale. y. A. L.
[Mr. Saunders' book has been issued since the above notice was written.]
The third part of the third volume of the Proceedings of the Davenport Academy of
Natural Sciences, which came to hand in
April, is devoted to the memory of Joseph Psirhe 4 054-55 (pre.1903). hfp //psyche attclub ofl4OOi4 html



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Duncan Putnam, who was foremost among
the memb'ers of that society in securing for it a scientific standing as a publishing society. Besides the proceedings of the meeting held Jn Mr. Putnam's memory, the letters sent to ' his bereaved relatives by his scientific associ- ates, and the resolutions passed by several scientific societies upon hearing of his death, Prof. Herbert Osborn, with the assistance of Dr. H. A. Hagen and others, has prepared for publication the notes upon and figures of Americon soipttgitlae, which Mr. Putnam
had made, and which now form an interest- ing contribution to the study of a heretofore neglected family of American arthropodit. Tothis paper is added a bibliography of the sulfugidue, complied from Mr. Putnam's
by Miss Julia E. Sanders. This bibliography comprises 224 titles, with notes, and is ar- ranged in chronological order.
G: D.
Cambridge, Ma?s., 14 April 1883.
A paper with the title Rovardszdi wok
(Journal of entomology) has lately made its appearance in Pesth, Hungary.
It is, how-
ever, a mistake to bury interesting entomo- logical matter in pages printed in a language which few outside of Hungary can read.
G: D.
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.
9 MARCH 1833.-The gist meeting of the
Club wns held at 19 Brattle Square. Cam- bridge, q March 1883, at 8 p. m. In the ab- sence of the President, Mr. S: Henshaw was chosen Chairman. Seven persons (five of
whom were members) were present.
The additions to the library of the Club were announced by the Librarian,
Mr. G; Dimmock read a paper on "The
scales of coteoptera," including in the paper observations in regard to the scales of other insects. Microscopical preparations and fig- ures of many forms of scales were shown. [The paper is now appearing with iliustrn- tions, in PSYCHE.]
Mr. S: H. Scudder exhibited a figure, by Brongniart, of a very large fossil walking- stick, described under the name of Titma- fkasma fayoli.
Mr. S: H. Scudder showed a few photo-
graphs of regions in Colorado where fossil insects had been found.
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6 FEB. x%3. . . .A paper was read "On the pairing of TegeMaria guyonii and descrip- tion of certain organs in the male abdominal sexual region," by J, Made Campbell. Two cases were related in which during confine- ment the maies killed the females after union and an instance was also given of an attempt to impregnate an immature female which
was also destroyed by the male. In neither case could hunger have been the cause of the attack. The writer explained these occur- rences and also the accounts of females de- stroying males after union on the ground "That those instincts which are habitually practised throughout the far greater portion of the life of the species, and on which its existence is dependent would scarcely be sus- pended for a longer period than necessary for the sexnn! union." Some of the habits of spiders and especially ofthis species were mentioned as bearing on these sexual con- flicts, and the specific benefits which would arise from them were referred to. The paper concluded by a note on some glands situated on the convexity of the abdominal sexual region. The ducts, considerably convoluted, open through transparent tubular spines
which are arranged transversely to the axis of the body of the spider. These organs are supposed by Mr. Campbell to be a kind of spinning organ. Two papilla-like processes below the opening of the genital sinus were also described. - Zool. umeig'er, 5 March 18S3, jahrg. 6, p. 127-128.




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