2l8 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, '06 



A New Method of Preparing Wings and Other Parts 



of Insects For Study. 

 BY W. V. TOWER, B. S., Amherst, Mass. 



In ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for January, 1905, page 28, 

 there appeared a note referring to some mounts of Lepidoptera 

 prepared by Dr. P. P. Calvert to show the venation of the 

 wings. For this purpose he used a ten per cent, solution of 

 caustic potash as a bleaching agent, after which the wings 

 were washed and then stained in a watery solution of Bor- 

 deaux red for twenty-four hours. Upon removal from the 

 stain they were washed, floated onto cards and allowed to dry. 



Several trials of this method failed to give satisfactory re- 

 sults, and, thinking there was a chance for improvement, a 

 number of experiments were carried on at the Entomological 

 Laboratory of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, which 

 gave the following results : 



METHODS. 



1 . Place the wings to be bleached in a crucible partly filled 

 with hydrogen peroxide and cover ; boil until the scales are 

 thoroughly bleached, then wash in water and then in seventy 

 per cent, alcohol fifteen minutes in each. While the wings 

 are washing smooth out with a fine camel's hair brush to 

 loosen many of the scales and render the wings more trans- 

 parent. After washing, stain from one to three hours with 

 cyanin, gentian violet, Bordeaux red (six hours in this case), 

 or rosaniline, then remove and wash for fifteen minutes in fifty 

 per cent, alcohol and thirty minutes in water. At this point 

 thorough washing is very important as air bubbles and more 

 or less surplus stain have worked in between the two mem- 

 branes of the wing. These can be removed by pressure with 

 a camel's hair brush, gently forcing them out at the base of 

 the wing. It is a good practice to repeat this washing ; then 

 mount in glycerine jelly. 



2. Balsam mounts. Bleach with hydrogen peroxid as 

 above, then wash in water and in fifty per cent, alcohol, fif- 

 teen minutes in each ; remove and stain in cyanin for two 

 hours, then wash in fifty, seventy and ninety per cent, alco- 

 hol, ten minutes in each, removing surplus stain and air bub- 



