PROCEKDINGS: ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 529 



through the reproductions of conditions, as near as possible, to those 

 existing in nature. Humidity was found to be the most important 

 factor and by regulating this to a practically constant degree throughout 

 the year the best results were obtained. To secure this result those 

 types of cages which could be tightly closed were found most satis- 

 factory, such as museum jars, fruit jars, and smaller phials with screw 

 tops. For successful breeding of these insects it is necessary to know 

 beforehand certain conditions under which they live. For instance, 

 in each species of wood-boring beetles a decided preference is nearly 

 always shown for a particular condition of wood. It may be green 

 wood, that which is thoroughly seasoned, or perhaps that which has 

 undergone a certain stage of decay. In such cases it is absolutely 

 necessary to exactly duplicate this condition in order to propagate the 

 species. 



E. R. Selkregg: Fniit-infesting Lepidoptera. The larvae of the 

 codling moth and similar larvae are allowed to spin cocoons in pupation 

 sticks where their transformation to pupae can be observed. These 

 pupation sticks, one of which was exhibited, consist of a strip of wood 

 with numerous sawcuts part way through, over which is placed a strip 

 of transparent celluloid and then an uncut strip of wood. Glass bat- 

 tery jars are the most convenient rearing cages, furnishing approximately 

 natural conditions for development of various stages. They are easily 

 handled and quickly moved about the insectary. The insects develop 

 in these jars at the same rate as in nature, according to definite observa- 

 tions. 



R. A. Cushman: Hymenopterous parasites. Rearing of these 

 insects is very easy with almost any sort of jar, box, or phial, depending 

 on the size of the specimen or amount of material. Moisture should 

 be very sparingly employed. Host remains and cocoons of parasites 

 should always be preserved as from them can be learned much re- 

 garding the habits and development of the parasite. Breeding of 

 parasites as distinguished from rearing is a much more difficult matter. 

 These insects are so strongly heliotropic that they spend practically 

 all of their time in crawling about the top of the cage. The best results 

 were obtained with small cages which brought the material to be 

 parasitized close to the top and sides of the cage. Various types of 

 small cages were described and exhibited and the method of handling 

 them described. A small cage entirely of glass for photographing 

 living insects was also described and photographs of cages and living 

 insects were exhibited. After oviposition has been segured the treat- 

 ment depends almost entirely on the nature of the host, and since 

 insects of practically all sorts are attacked by parasites, the worker 

 with parasites is perhaps more largely benefitted by the ideas brought 

 out in such a symposium as this than any other. 



S. A. Rohwer: Insectaries. The speaker stated that in constructing 

 insectaries efforts should be made to approximate natural conditions, 

 and as the amount of time available for discussion was limited he only 

 called attention to a few points which had been gained from his experi- 



