4S PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



"lu most of the boiled specimens the coagulated body con- 

 tents has more or less separated from the skin. 



"The addition of glycerine has resulted in a browning and 

 shriveling of the larva. 



"All unboiled alcoholic specimens have very seriously 

 shriveled." 



Dr. Phillips said: 



"The use of some of the approved fixing fluids would doubt- 

 less serve the purpose of preserving soft insect larva? for exter- 

 nal examination and would at the same time preserve the 

 tissues so that they could be used for histological or even 

 cytological work in case it were desired to use the material in 

 that way at any time. For example, one part glacial acetic 

 acid and four parts absolute alcohol or one part glacial acetic 

 acid and nine parts 90 per cent alcohol will fix soft larva? such 

 as those of the honey bee without shrinking and will leave 

 them beautifully white. They can be left in 80 per cent alco- 

 hol after fixation in the acetic alcohol solution for an hour 

 or two. The swelling action of the acetic acid counteracts the 

 shrinking by the alcohol. Acetic acid has great penetrating 

 power. 



"In the same manner a number of fixing fluids can be used, 

 but many of them will color the specimens somewhat. Picro- 

 formal, picro-sulphuric, or any of the numerous picric- acid 

 fixing fluids will preserve the shape of the larva? but will 

 color them yellow. This color can be entirely removed by 

 washing in alcohol. 



"As Mr. Barber has intimated, the use of cork stoppers will 

 always discolor light alcoholic material. Antimony, rubber, 

 or glass stoppered bottles are an improvement in this regard. 

 Another method is to stop the bottles with cotton and put a 

 large number of such bottles in a large preserve or exhibition 

 jar." 



Mr. Viereck stated that acetone is now being used in place 

 of acetic acid. 



-The following papers were accepted for publication: 



