OF WASHINGTON. 361 titles of works published. He criticised the book for the omission of all references to the literature of the family name. Prof. Smith read a paper entitled " An Essay at the Classifica tion of the American Noctuids." He gave considerable import ance to the position of vein 5 of the hind wings as indicating the groups Trifinae and Quadrifinse, basing the division upon the position of the vein rather than its tendency to obolescence, which he regarded as a more secondary character. He also showed a series of phylogenies which he had prepared for the genera of several groups. Dr. Dyar took exception to Prof. Smith's idea that the Quadrifinae were the more generalized, stating that it would be expected that the three-branched median vein repre sented the lower type as in the Notodontians, etc. Dr. Gill re marked that it did not follow that the highest Noctuids should necessarily have the most specialized venation. Prof. Smith briefly explained his position further. Dr. Dyar called attention to Arsilonche albovenosa, which has been considered to be the same as the European species. Dr. Chapman has shown in a letter recently received that the genitalia of the European form differ from those of the American form as figured by Prof. Smith, thus indicating a specific distinction as claimed by Grote. Mr. Ashmead also remarked on Prof. Smith's paper. In the absence of Mr. Schwarz, Mr. Benton read the following letter written by Mr. Hubbard while in the southwest, in 1897. LETTERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST. By H. G. HUBBARD. Insect fauna in the burrows of desert rodents. YUMA, AR., March 30, 1897. I find I have not reported my operations at Palm Springs, Cala., since March izfth. I have, in fact, not collected many things dur ing the last week of my stay, as I was engaged in the laborious work of digging out and exploring the burrows of Spermophiles and the Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys desertorum). The holes of the latter baffled us entirely, and I am sure I did not succeed in reaching the true nest as I had to abandon the excavation at a
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