The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-03

Gen. jackson and Col. Mercer Ri
vailed Each Other I'm Story Tell
ing-Mr. saussy Had a Very Funny
Little Dog at His House, Too.
Let dogs delight to bark and fight,
For It's their nature to
| But, Georgia sages met last night
And took another view.
They argued we'll that dogs are wise,
And highly gifted, too,
And forthwith did philosophize
To prove the doctrine true.
Never. perhaps, in the history Of the
Georgia Historical Society was there
meeting like that which the distinguished
sages of Savannah, who are the guardians
of this worthy old institution, held last
night.
! These are dog days, and that probably,
has something to do with the extraordl-
nary turn taken in the deliberations of
the meeting The entire evening, nearly,
was spent by the members of the society
in the discussion of dogs, the telling of
funny stories about dogs and a general
symposium on dogology, which proved
highly interesting, instructive and just the
thing for Willing away the sweltering
| hours of a sultry August night.
The funniest part of the whole affair
was that it was all unintentional. 1t
was precipitated in the most natural way
imaginable, and when at a late hour the
meeting adjourned and the members of
of the hall and talked about
the meeting, nobody could have
! laughed more heartily than they
did themselves at the very amusing
stories that had been told and the sur
prsing turn that had been given the meet
| ing.
The business before the society was first
! disposed of. Gen. Henry r. Jackson pre-
sided. The business end of the meeting
was brief, six new members being elect
ed, the reports of one or two of the COM
mittees being read, and then the session
being open to introduction of new matter.
The secretary, Mr.. William Harden, read
a communication from the Statute Law
| Book Company of Washington asking the
society for the loan of a very valuable
old volume of Georgia colonial laws adopt
ed from 1856 to 1764. So rare and important
is this old book that the inquiring COM
pany wishes to have the pages photo
graphed. A resolution was introduced by
| Mr.. Saussy, prohibiting the loan of the
! book out of the library, so that il il is
to be reproduced copying clerks win have
! to be sent to Savannah to get the con-
! tents of it.
After this was finished by the members
OF the society letter was read from the
| Savannah Benevolent Association, present.
! ing the society its memorial volume The
book was written by Col. John Screven
1t viii be kept by the library of the his
torical society, and the thanks of the
! members were authorized to be conveyed
70 the Savannah Benevolent Association
Then came the instructive and amusing
part of the evenings session.
DR.. A. Oemer, a biologist not only of
| local renown, but of distinction among the
ranks of scientists of the country. stated
that he had a copy of a letter he had re-
| Gently written to the chief entomologist of
| the agricultural department of the United
States and the reply bearing upon the
| wonderful instinct of certain insects The
| correspondence proved of such highly in
terestng nature that it bears printing. 1t
was as follows;
July &c. 1897, Prof. L. o. Howard: Dear
| Sir-The care of some insects to procure
q supply Of food for their progeny, which
they are destined never to behold is GER
tainly wonderful. A butterfly deposits her
eggs with unerring instinct upon a more
| preoccupied plant of the proper species,
which affords no food for itself. The
| bolts fly lays her eggs only on such parts
of its body which the horse NAV
reach with its tongue. But how amaz-
ing is this instinct, amounting to fore
sight in the case of such insects as our
horseguards monedua carolina
ana our muddaubers peleo-
| pocus concentrates, which af-
ter depositing an egg within a cell of it's
| nest provides a store of food I'm the form
of corotlies and spiders respectively ex-
actly apportioned in quantity to the needs
! OF its young, after singing them only
| sufficiently to suspend animation.
1t is in regard to these two insects 1
wish to consult you. One of my daugh-
| tiers, who has a keen eye for insects
and is fond of entomology, drew
my attention recently TO the
| maneuvers of a tachina fly and of a mud
dauber wasp upon my parlor ceiling The
fly would approach the wasp as in attack,
| and would escape when turned upon by the
latter which, however. did not pursue.
Now, what was the purpose of the fly?
| was 1t opposition upon the wasp, and Is
| the fly parasitic. both on the image and
on the larva9 Was the wasp only to be
| the involuntary conYeyor of the eggs of
the destroyer of its offspring to its nest.
or was II the purpose of the fly to annoy
the wasp in order that 1t should be piloted
to the latters nest?
! | send you a specimen Of the fly and
nests, with pupae of the parasite. A cell
is sometimes filled with them, and there
Is no trace Of the stored spiders. nor Of the
| larvae of the wasp. Have they both been
consumed by the larvae of the fly, or have
the latter pershed for want of food?
Cow flies have recently been scarce, and
| my daughter observed a horseguard cap
ture and carry off a common house ly Is
this not unusual? Yous truly
A. Oemler.
The entomologist replied as follows:
July 2S. 1S97.-Dear Dr.. Oemler: Thank
you for yours Of 18th. and accompanying
| specimens The note Is a very interest
| ing one. and your daughter must be COM
| plimented upon her powers Of observation
The wasp Is pelopocus cementarius and
| the Tachlnid fly Is Pachyophthalmus flori-
densis. the specific habits Of which have
never been recorded. so far as we know
| The determination OF the latter insect has
been made by Mr.. Coquiilctt one Of our