May, '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 215 



than previously. Unfortunately I only secured one pupa from this 

 brood, and, as it is doubtful if I may this year have a chance of again 

 breeding this insect, may I ask some of our western enthusiasts to try 

 the experiment this year to see if the food plant is the only distinguish- 

 ing factor in the color and markings of this variable species? J. W. 

 COCKLE. 



Doings of Societies. 



At the meeting of the Feldman Collecting Social held Phila- 

 delphia, February 20, 1907, there were seven members present. 



Mr. Harbeck exhibited his collection of the genus Tabanus, 

 and remarked that Professor Hine had gone over his specimens 

 of nigrovittatus and had picked out from them a number of 

 specimens of conterminus. 



Professor J. B. Smith exhibited slides of lepidopterous wings 

 colored with eosin, bringing out the venation very clearly. 



Mr. Haimbach has made some experiments with the color- 

 ing of wings of a number of micros, according to the method 

 given to him by Professor Smith, with more or less success, 

 and will attempt here to give a brief outline of it, and would 

 be pleased to hear from others who probably have had even 

 better success. The wings are carefully nipped off, and put 

 in alcohol for a few minutes, then transferred into Eau de La- 

 barraque, which is the bleaching agent ; in this they are left until 

 all the color is bleached from the wings, and then put into clear 

 water for a short time, then back into alcohol, and from that 

 into the eosin, where they must remain until the desired result 

 is reached; in the case of small micros two hours will suffice, 

 but in the larger moths twenty-four hours are required. 

 Judgment and practice are both essential features, and each 

 species must be treated according to its individual requirement. 

 After the wings have been long enough in eosin, they are 

 transferred into alcohol again to wash out the color from the 

 wings, being careful not to leave it too long, so that the veins 

 will not lose their color. They are then mounted on slides 

 with Canada balsam and xylol, and left to dry, which, unless 

 artificially done, will require a week or ten days. 



FRANK HAIMBACH, Secretary. 



