OljRKKNT NOTES. 



261 



6?IURRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 



Our colleague, Dr. Burr, has been appointed Assistant Military 

 Landing OUicer, with Captain's rank, ".somewhere in the East." He 

 sailed last week to take up his new duties. 



In the (jazette of October 2nd appears the appointment of Mr. 

 Cyril Herbert Page, N.D.A., N.D.D. — son of our colleague Mr. H. E. 

 Page, E.E.8., and Mrs. R. Page, B.A. — as Second-Lieutenant in the 

 Royal Garrison Artillery, 1st Hants Heavy Battery. 



The South London Entomolgical Society holds its Annual 

 Exhibition on November 25th at 7.80. 



In the April number of the Kiitoinolo'iicol AV/r.s, which was con- 

 siderably delayed in transit to us, we note a useful article on the 

 Mounting of Insects, by H. B. Weiss. The apparatus consists of a 

 vertically supported pin bearing a small cube of cork. Through this 

 cork runs a horizontal support having, at its distal end, a prong which 

 is thrust into the ventral suiface of the thorax. The opposite end of 

 this horizontal support, after it leaves the cork, is bent to form a little 

 crank, by means of which the specimen can be readily turned, exposing 

 all parts of its surface for inspection. In addition this support prevents 

 the abdomen from drooping in the process of drying." The advan- 

 tages of this method are claimed to be :— The specimen is rotatable 

 about a longitudinal axis, the dorsal surface is preserved intact, there 

 is an unobstructed view of the specimen, the insect can be raised and 

 lowered, a number of specimens can be mounted on a single pin for 

 storage or carriage, bodies are less likely to become detached, pairs can 

 be mounted tandem on oiie main support, no extra label pins are 

 needed, the vertical pin can carry a label which will not be obscured by 

 the nisect, there is a saving of time in moving specimens, and the in- 

 ventor claims that it requires no additional time to set insects in this 

 way, and that the method is readily adaptable for all sizes and classes 

 of insects. 



Some months ago we referred to a pamphlet issued by the New 

 York Agricultural Experimental Station on " Tree Crickets injurious 

 to Orchard and Garden Fruits," by Messrs. P. J. Parrott and B. B. 

 Fulton. The latter author has continued his subject by a succeeding 

 work, " The Tree (Crickets of New York ; Life History and Bionomics." 

 In this he deals in considerable detail with seven species of the genus 

 <}\ra)it/iiis and one species of the genus Xco.rahi'a. " The interest in 

 these insects centers chiefly about their remarkable reproductive struc- 

 tures and instincts and their peculiar oviposition habits. The song of 

 the male, which serves to attract the female, is produced by a minute 

 rasp on the underside of the forewing, which is scraped by a structure 

 on the inner edge of the opposite wing. In producing the sound the 

 wings are raised at right angles to the body and vibrated rapidly. 

 When the wings are so raised, there is exposed on the metanotum a 

 glandular hollow, the secretion of which is very attractive to the female. 

 The latter climbs over the abdomen and feeds on the gland. The male 

 takes advantage of the position and inserts the barbed capillary tube of 

 a spermatophore into the genital opening of the female, and the sperms 

 pass into the seminal receptacle. The spermatophore is formed in a 

 peculiar pouch at the tip of the abdomen, by the hardening of a viscous 

 li(|uid about a mass of sperms." There are a considerable number of 

 illustrations and six plates, four of which are in colour. 



