88 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, 



DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY, 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc. D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



The World's Columbian Exposition. One of the features of the exhibit 

 to be made by the office of experiment stations at Chicago, will be a Bio- 

 logical Laboratory in operation. It is intended that certain simple and 

 easily understood experiments will be constantly carried on, not to get 

 results of course, but rather to give the public an idea of how results are 

 obtained. As a part of this Laboratory, there will be a corner devoted to 

 the entomologist and his contraptions, and at the request of the Director 

 of the Office of Experiment Stations, I have agreed to take charge of 

 this Laboratory, or rather the Entomological part thereof. It is the in- 

 tention to have, primarily, a well-equipped Laboratory, or, perhaps better, 

 the material for such an equipment, for one of the most important features 

 of a good Laboratory an abundance of room will be wanting. This 

 will show the public at large the tools of the trade, and will embrace 

 breeding cages, setting boards, nets, cyanide and other bottles, and indeed 

 everything that is necessary for everyday work. To make the thing look 

 more natural, one table will be devoted to breeding some of the well- 

 known and easily obtained pests, and perhaps some others will be 

 mounted or otherwise prepared for examination and study. There will 

 be a dissecting microscope in actual use at times, and a compound micro- 

 scope to enable the stranger to appreciate the vastness of the subject 

 under investigation. If we find the Chicago water suitable for the pur- 

 pose, the kerosene emulsion will be made occasionally, and, when the 

 neighboring chemical Laboratory gets too unbearable, a fish-oil soap will 

 be made as an antidote. It is my desire, however, to make this feature 

 of the exhibit something more than a mere show for the "gaping multi- 

 tude," and if possible to obtain for the Laboratory a series of little con- 

 trivances in use by entomologists, which will be of interest and use to the 

 collector and student, more than to the casual visitor. Almost every col- 

 lector has some little contrivance of his own, either to collect, mount, 

 inflate, or otherwise prepare his insects; or some little dodge in rearing 

 or keeping specimens. A series of such little notions I am anxious to 

 secure, and would be very much obliged if any of the readers of the 

 NEWS who may have anything of the kind would communicate with me. 



The Strawberry Weevil. In "Insect Life," vol. iv, No. 3, Mr. F. H. 

 Chittenden has an article that treats of this pest. Tlu- study made is very 

 much more complete than that made by Mr. Beckwith, mentioned in this 

 Department recently, and the suggestions as to remedies or modes of 

 preventing injury commend themselves very much more. The procedure 

 mentioned with most favor by the author is covering the beds before the 

 appearance of the insects with a cloth, or even with old newspapers, 

 which will serve to keep off the beetles. Contrary to Mr. Beckwith, Mr. 



