188 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



stronger and more jerky the vibrations of the box and the easier loosing 

 of the needles. The amount of cotton put between the two boxes was 

 far too much ; this quantity of cotton could not work as an elastic buffer 

 between the outer and inner box. 



The contents of the box should have been written on the outer box, 

 and also the address of the sender. 



I think that the contents of the box must have been badly damaged, 

 especially if Lepicloptera or Diptera were in it. DR. GEO. W. BOCK. 



I EXPECT the insects were damaged, because of too much cotton, jam- 

 med in tight so that the inner box could not move. Under these circum- 

 stances the insects would be liable to move, on the same principle as the 

 second of two billiard balls in contact, the first being hit ; or the inner 

 table of the skull, sometimes fractured by a blow, as by a spent bullet on 

 the outer table. T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



Replying to conundrums published on p. 158, vol. 12 of ENT. NEWS, I 

 should think 



ist. "The condition of enclosed insects" would resemble what "we 

 boys of the 6o's " called a " hishy hashy h 1 fired stew," composed of 

 salt pork, fresh beef, hard tack, white beans, green grapes, potatoes and 

 any other ingredients we could lay our hands on all stewed together. 



and. If any insects escaped injury, it must have been through lack of 

 cotton. With a good heavy caulking chisel and a sledge I believe more 

 than six ounces could have been forced into the space between the boxes. 

 The outer box should be strongly nailed before beginning to caulk, and 

 care should be exercised not to jar the insects with the sledge while 

 caulking, as the antennae are very fragile and easily jarred off. 



Perhaps molten lead poured in to fill the space between the boxes 

 would give the whole thing a rigidity that could not be obtained with cot- 

 ton, however well packed. I have never tried it, but imagine it might 

 give better results ; only I have not yet decided how to unpack it, without 

 jarring it too much ; possibly it could be melted off. 



I imagine that box must have been sent you by the man who "shoots" 

 Catocala, under the impression that specimens who can survive shooting 

 are safe under any conditions. 



Of the many hundreds of specimens I exchanged this winter expanded, 

 via. express, not one specimen was destroyed. 



I use pasteboard boxes, packed in 5 ct. wooden basket, with excelsior, 

 loo to 150 specimens packed ready for shipment weighing 2 Ibs. F. A. 

 MERRICK. 



THE insects were damaged, as six specimens were rolling around in 

 the box and playing ten pins with the others, and bowling off antennae, 

 legs, etc. If pith is used to line boxes, the boxes should be just deep 

 enough to prevent the point of the pin from ascending to the surface of 

 the pith. The express company in this particular case did not know but 



