182 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



one for the trifling trouble and expense involved in its construction. It 

 consists first of a gallon glass jar, heavily charged with cyanide of 

 potassium. To the top of this is fitted a funnel, the spreading mouth 

 of which opens at right angles to the axis of the poisoned jar. The 

 lower end of the funnel is four or five inches below the mouth of the jar 

 and has an opening three inches in diameter, the funnel mouth being 

 twelve or thirteen inches across. Opposite the mouth of the funnel, and 

 on the opposite side of the jar, is soldered to the funnel a sheet of tin so 

 bent as to thoroughly enclose a lamp. The lamp is supported by a piece 

 of tin hinged to the outer edge of this projection. The lamp being 

 placed in position, the tin support is made to rest upon the projecting 

 part of the jar below its neck. Immediately in front of the light is 

 placed a sheet of mica. The whole contrivance is placed within a tight 

 wooden box, and a tin flap is also arranged above the lamp chimney as a 

 precaution against an undesired conflagration. 



The moth, attracted by the light, flies into the mouth of the funnel, is 

 stopped by the mica, and after fluttering a very short time, is so far over- 

 come by the fumes of the potassium as to fall within the poisoned jar, 

 whence it cannot emerge. A projecting lip of an inch or so in height is 

 soldered to the lower edge of the mouth of the funnel in such a way as to 

 catch any insect that falls outside the mouth of the jar. It thus is most 

 likely to return to the light. I have taken with this contrivance hundreds 

 of Noctuidae and Coleoptera, among the former many things — especially 

 among the Tineidae — entirely, new to my cabinet. 



THE TYPICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE DIPTERA OF NORTH 

 AMERICA IN THE MUSEUM IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



BY DR. H. HAGEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



The new edition of the Catalogue of the described Diptera of North 

 America, by the Baron Osten Sacken, Washington, 1S78, ranges doubt- 

 lessly among the most important works published on the North American 

 Fauna. A very detailed and elaborate preface tells only in brief manner 

 the immense amount of work done by the author since the publication of 

 the first catalogue in 1858. A large part of new information is given at 

 the end of the Catalogue in 335 notes. 



