1862.] 17:5 



Synopsis of Families of HETEROCERA. 

 BY BRACKENRIDGE CLEMENS, M. I). 



That the following Synopsis of Families may be used to advantage, it is 

 necessary that the fore and hind wings should be carefully denuded of 

 their scales on both sides. 



My own method of doing this, is as follows : tlie wings are carefully 

 detached from the thorax and placed on a slip of glass with the surface a 

 little moistened with common water. Then with a sahle hair 2)encU^ 

 pointed and moistened by the lips, the upper surface is denuded, working 

 with light and careful touches, in the direction in which the scales lie. 

 When the upper surface has been denuded and the wings have dried, 

 they can be easily detached from the glass by placing the point of the 

 pencil under the base, or the part attached to the thorax. After the 

 wings have been detached from the glass the denuded side is secured to it 

 by a little moisture from the mouth, as it is slightly adhesive when dried, 

 and the under side is then carefully denuded. 



The entire surface of the wing need not be denuded ; it is quite suffi- 

 cient if those parts in which the modifications of structure chiefly take 

 place are made transparent. This, however, applies principally to the 

 fore wings ; it is necessary to obtain a clear view of every portion of the 

 hind wings, except the distribution of the nervules to the hinder margin. 



When the wings are very small, they must be denuded under a lens. 

 When large, the under side can be denuded without removal from the 

 body. 



The wings thus treated should be permitted to remain on the glass slide 

 after the under side has been deprived of their scales, and protected from 

 injury by a thin piece of mica or thin glass cemented to the surface by 

 common paste or some of the cements used for making microscopic prepa- 

 rations. The slides may be an inch wide and two inches long, and may 

 contain one or more specimens. In order that they may be easily distin- 

 guished, the slides should be covered with paper, leaving openings through 

 which the wings can be seen, and the names of the family, genus and 

 species written upon it. 



The following is the method used by Mr. Guenee, which the student 

 may prefer : " I commence by depriving the wing, on both sides, of 

 nearly all its scales, by means of the solution of gum that is used to take 

 impressions of them, [between two pieces of paper or tissue-paper, which 

 are moistened with the solution of gum, I suppose, and submitted to light 

 pressure,] and as some scales are not taken ofl" by this ti'catment, especi- 



