June, 1909.] COMSTOCK : USE OF COAL TaR CrEOSOTE. 73 



branches of the gourd vines a small dark brown Scolytid. The pre- 

 ceding year's vines and even fruit, proved to be packed full of these 

 small insects, their larvae and pupae. I collected a good series of the 

 perfect insect, and Dr. Hopkins, of the Bureau of Entomology at 

 Washington, D. C, pronounced them to be a species oi Xylocleptes, 

 either cucurbitcB Lee. or a new species, probably the latter. It was 

 the first time I had observed the species in the state, and the present 

 season I hope to secure both the larvae and pupae of this insect. 



ON THE USE OF COAL TAR CREOSOTE AS A 

 PREVENTATIVE OF CABINET PESTS. 



By Wm. Phillips Comstock, 



Newark, N. J- 



An article by Dr. Geo. W. Bock, entitled " An absolutely sure 

 method of preservation of natural scientific collections against insect 

 enemies " appeared on page 443 of the December, 1907, issue of the 

 Entomological News. This interested me at the time and shortly after- 

 ward I made an experiment with the method. Dr. Bock used thimbles, 

 to which he had soldered pins, for affixing the same in cabinet ; these 

 he filled with medicated cotton which he soaked with coal tar creosote. 



Not having time to prepare the thimbles, I prepared another 

 receptacle for the creosote. I bought a box of no. o gelatine capsules 

 — 100 cost $.10.* Throwing aside the top I used the larger bottom 

 of the capsule as a receptacle to hold the creosote. My method of 

 preparation was as follows : I first inserted a little tuft of common 

 absorbent cotton into the capsule with my forceps and filled about 50 

 thus. To support the capsule in the box I used a common pin which 

 I first heated slightly over a lamp and then thrust through the capsule 

 at right angles to its vertical axis and near the top (see Fig. i). The 

 heated pin fused itself through both sides of the gelatine capsule, fasten- 

 ing firmly. A little practice will teach the experimenter the trick of 

 heating the pin to the proper temperature, so that the work may be 

 done rapidly. I used medium size common pins but a black headed 

 steel pin, I believe, would have proved superior. 



The operation of filling the capsules maybe done with a medicine 

 dropper and takes little time. 



* Empty gelatine capsules are manufactured by Parke, Davis & Co. , Detroit, Mich. 



