116 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



Anopheles occidentalis and A. walkeri somewhat resemble this species, but 

 the former has a yellow coppery patch on the wing fringe, at the apex; and the 

 latter has less distinct black spots on the wings and has white rings on the 

 palpi. 



REMOVING POLLEN FROM BEES. 

 It is well known to all persons who have made a collection of bees that a 

 large proportion of specimens in some genera — notably Andrenidcs and Mega- 

 chilidce — are so heavily loaded with pollen that their beauty as cabinet speci- 

 mens is much impaired, and also that some of the characters which need to be 

 examined in order to identify them properly are covered and concealed. 



Last season I experimented to find some practical and easy way to remove 

 the pollen without injury to the specimens, and I succeeded so well that I thought 

 that some of your readers would like to know about it. 



I take a wide-mouthed bottle holding some live or six ounces and fill it 

 about two-thirds full of gasoline, drop the bees in and cork tightly and shake 

 vigorously for two or three minutes, then pour off the liquid into another bottle 

 and empty the bees out on to a sheet of blotting paper. In a few minutes 

 the gasoline will all evaporate and leave the bees perfectly clean. When wholly 

 dried out they should be examined with a lens, and if not clean give them an- 

 other bath of fresh gasoline This second bath will rarely be necessary 

 if thoroughly done the first time In case some very shaggy species should not 

 look ffuffy enough, a little brushing with a small, soft paint brush will com- 

 pletely restore the natural appearance Some pollens are more difficult than 

 others to remove That of viburnum is the worst I have seen yet, but it will 

 come off. I am sure that any one who will give this plan a thorough trial will 

 be more than satisfied. Old dried specimens cannot be cleaned. 



N.B. — Do not fear to shake vigorously. You cannot injure them, and it 

 is necessary to shake well in order to rinse them completely. 



E. J. Smith, Sherborn, Mass. 



CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF NORTH AMERICAN. 



CICADELLID^ (HEMIP.). 



BY GEO. W. BARBER, 

 U. S. Bureau of Entomology, (*) Washington, D.C. 



Some time ago a study was pursued to determine what relation the dis- 

 tribution of N. A. Cicadellidae had to the life zones of N. A. fauna. It was 

 soon found, however, that under our present knowledge of the distribution of 

 the insects of this family, such a study would lead to considerable confusion, 

 and it was, therefore, discontinued for the present. 



Certain information did develop, however, concerning the distribution of 

 the Cicadellidae, and it is here presented as perhaps adding something to our 

 conception of this family: 



Undoubtedly some localities in the distribution of the species have been 



overlooked, but an endeavor has been made to know the distribution of each 



species so far as it has been recorded in literature. 



*Published by permission of the Chief of the Bureau of Entomology. 

 May, 1920 



