528 proceedings: entomological society 



arrived at through a study of the structure of the organs whose irri- 

 tation or disturbance gave rise to reactions indicating olfactory sense. 

 Dr. BoviNG discussed certain organs on coleopterous larvae the function 

 of which he did not know. These structures are similar in form to 

 certain of the organs discussed by Dr. McIndoo. Dr. QuaintancE 

 thought that such studies should lead to practical use of the knowledge 

 gained and suggested that some substance distasteful to bees might 

 be placed in sprays and thus eliminate the serious loss in hives due to 

 bees feeding on sprayed flowers. 



Symposium on laboratory methods and devices for breeding and rearing 

 insects. 



J. A. Hyslop: Subterranean insects. The technique described was 

 developed during ten years of biological and ecological investigations 

 on the coleopterous family Elateridae with occasional studies on other 

 insect groups. The unit system universally used in library indexing 

 was found to be admirably adaptable to this work. Each specimen 

 on being received at the laboratory was isolated in an individual cage 

 and given an accession number in chronological sequence. A 3 X 5 

 card bearing this number was prepared and all collecting data were 

 recorded. Subsequent notes were recorded on. similar cards and the 

 cards filed in numerical order. The cages were tinned salve boxes 

 ranging in size from one inch in diameter and one-half inch in depth 

 to two and one-half inches in diameter and one inch in depth, depending 

 upon the size and nature of the material. These cages were arranged 

 in numerical order in shallow galvanized iron trays measuring 18 X 24 

 inches and the trays filed in sequence in slide stacks below the work 

 bench in the laboratory insectary, each tray bearing on its exposed 

 edge the first and last accession numbers contained in that tray. By 

 systematizing the method of procedure in examining this material 

 and in making notes it was possible, with two inexperienced laboratory 

 assistants, to keep careful daily records of over four thousand specimens. 

 The significant feature of this method of handling insectary material 

 is the absolute systematizing of the routine work, the reduction of the 

 size of the cage to a minimum and its style to the greatest possible 

 simplicity. Laboratory conditions were made absolutely artificial, 

 no attempt being made to reproduce a natural environment indoors. 

 The data collected by this process was very accurate for the existing 

 known conditions, and field observations and notes were very easily 

 correlated with this data so that it could be applied to normal field 

 conditions. Mr. Hyslop stated that "our experience has convinced 

 us of the feasibility of the following biological laboratory law: The 

 accuracy of biological laboratory observations is inversely proportional to 

 the size of the cage and directly proportional to the thorottghness of the 

 system of observing." 



F. C. Craighead: Wood-boring insects. In the past five years the 

 author and several assistants have reared a great many coleopterous 

 larvae. Stress was laid on the fact that the best results were secured 



