TIIE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 



had prepared their private collections for exhibition to the public. The whole 

 number consisted of sixty-three cases, embracing probably two thousand different 

 species, and five or six thousand specimens. They were all neatly arranged in 

 their proper scientific order, and were also labelled in a general way with refer- 

 ence to their beneficial or noxious qualities. The principal collection is the pro- 

 perty of Mr. William Saunders, of London, a gentleman who has attained a high 

 reputation among scientific men as a thorough entomologist. It includes twenty- 

 two cases of Canadian insects, and four of foreign species. It is undoubtedly the 

 best private collection in the Dominion, and would be worthy of consideration 

 anywhere. Next to this was a collection of English butterflies and moths, the 

 property of the Entomological Society. The case of butterflies included a repre- 

 sentative of every British species. The moths were not so complete. These are 

 interesting as objects of comparison with the allied species of this country. Mr. 

 Edmund Baynes Reed, the Local Secretary of the Society, exhibited his private 

 collection of sixteen cases of beetles, butterflies, moths, dragon-flies, &,c. Among 

 these are some magnificent specimens. We especially noticed a case of Under- 

 wing moths {Catocalidce), which includes some very beautiful species. The Rev. 

 G. M. Innes, of London, showed seven cases of Canadian butterflies and moths, 

 and an interesting case of specimens of various orders from Labrador, a portion 

 of our country whose natural history has not yet been much investigated. Mr. 

 J. M. Denton, also of London, exhibited nine cases of native insects, some of 

 English butterflies, all in very nice order, and including many fine specimens." 



Mounting small Insects. — I have adopted successfully the following plan 

 of preparing and mounting very small insects for the microscope, such as 

 parasites and acari from birds, beetles, &c. Having procured the parasite 

 alive, I place it on the inside of a sheet of tolerably good note paper, folded, 

 and when in the act of running, I close the paper and press it tightly in a 

 book, which, for want of a better press, I put between two books in my 

 bookcase. By this means I find the legs, antennae, &c , nicely extended, all 

 the expressed moisture absorbed by the paper, and the skin apparently un- 

 broken. I allow it to remain in the book about two days, when it is carefully 

 removed from the paper, put into the turpentine bath, and afterwards moun- 

 ted in balsam in the usual way. — A. A., F. iu Science Gossip. 



-+ — 



EXCHANGES. 



Galls and Gall-Insects. — Galls and Gall-Insects from all parts of the globe are 

 my speciality, and since the lamented death of my friend Mr. Wilson Armistead, 

 of Leeds, (f February 18th, 1868,) I am carrying on the researches which he so 

 vigorously started in this field. I shall therefore be happy to enter into corres- 

 pondence and exchange, or contributions of specimens, with any gentleman in 

 Canada who takes an interest in this particular branch of Entomology. — Albert 



